Shenelle spent nine weeks within the Corporate Responsibility team as a City Business Trainee, a scheme funded by the City of London and facilitated by local charity, the Brokerage Citylink.  The scheme offers many talented young people from the City-fringe boroughs a unique opportunity to undertake a paid work placement after their A’levels within a City business.  This is Shenelle’s story of her placement:

“As I commuted to the City on July 6th 2009, I felt like an outsider amongst the well known businesses. However, by September 4th 2009 my knowledge about the City had developed immensely and I felt like a real City worker!

Approaching the east wing of the Guildhall for the first time as a member of staff at the City of London Corporation felt like a bird leaving their mother’s nest. My initial feeling was of excitement, as I was about to embark a valuable opportunity of working in a corporate environment, enabling me to learn new skills and meet new people. Nevertheless, my excitement was also accompanied by nerves as I began to question whether a 17-year old would be able to assist in bringing lasting social, economic and physical regeneration to the City’s neighbouring boroughs.

Once I arrived to the Economic Development Office, all thoughts of doubt had vanished. An introductory meeting with my line manager where I received information packs about the projects I would be supporting and the roles I would be carrying out reassured me that the next two months would be an enjoyable and exciting experience. The fact that I was introduced to my fellow team members and had lunch with them on the first day made me feel more relaxed as I was getting to the know the people that I would be working with.

During my placement I was assigned to various tasks in which I had to manage my time effectively in order to complete the work. My first task was to develop an annual questionnaire to send out to City Action’s community members, to identify the type of support they need.  Undertaking a telephone survey of the community organisations that responded was extremely rewarding and was one of the highlights of my placement.  I found it a privilege to identify the support community organisations need so that corporate volunteers can share their skills and resources. My work with City Action has encouraged me to increase my active involvement within the community.

My other tasks included supporting the City of London’s Employee Volunteering Programme, as well as the Lord Mayor’s Dragon Awards. Both of these projects gave me the opportunity to practice my writing skills which I very much enjoyed.

Supporting the Dragon Awards programme brought to my attention that as well as success and financial wealth, Corporate Responsibility is a high priority within the City. Writing the pages for the Dragon Awards dinner book showed me that the City goes beyond the Square Mile, as City companies actively support their neighbouring boroughs and the communities that face social exclusion or disadvantage.

Working as City of London employee for nine weeks has been a really positive experience. By working on various projects I have learnt a great deal and I will take these skills away with me so that I can enhance my personal and educational development. I have thoroughly enjoyed my placement and I would recommend the City Business Trainee programme to all A-Level students!”

No matter how the information comes – word of mouth, through the media or the various periodic indicators – one thing is agreed; the nation’s construction sector is in a bad way, consistently and precariously placed on the wrong side of the growth/contraction divide. Indeed, one index forecasts a staggering 16% shrinkage in the sector during 2009. The technical data is unfortunately backed up by lay-offs, redundancies and closures on the ground.

However, even this thunderhead has something of a silver lining.

In the last six months a major builder has bucked the trend, securing contracts worth over £6.5 billion. Its total orders to June are estimated at £12.8 billion. Another company has gained preferred bidder status for a contract worth £35 million. These and others up for grabs are all public sector infrastructure contracts: schools, hospitals, roads, museums. Faced with the scarcity of privately funded projects, builders are fighting tooth and nail to win them.

Those that do win these contracts, apart from being very good at what they do, have another thing in common. That is, a history of going beyond ‘best endeavours’ in attempting to deliver local recruitment and procurement. They have robust working relationships with the sector skills councils, colleges, training providers, job brokers, funding bodies, schools and charities. They get involved with schemes designed to train and employ women, people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, ex-offenders, the homeless and NEETS (young people not in employment, education or training).

And, increasingly, in a time of burgeoning unemployment, when central and local government look to award contracts on more than simply price alone, this track record can mean the difference between a healthy order book and the struggle to survive.

The most forward looking have embraced Corporate Social Responsibility activity and made it a core element of their business model because it works. Corporate Social Responsbility is fast becoming an accepted aid to the all-important maintenance of the bottom line.

The economic downturn has hit the construction sector very hard. When people are losing their jobs and livelihoods it could be seen as highly unfeeling to argue that the bad times could possibly have a progressive outcome. But, switching proverbs, it would be an extremely ill wind that blew no-one any good at all. If there are to be winners when these austere times are done, CSR itself looks set to be one of them, together with those companies who looked into the storm and saw its value.