A social enterprise which focuses on helping people from excluded groups find sustained employment in the property sector has won a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of promoting opportunity through social mobility.
BeOnsite helps people start a career in the construction industry, and with it, a new chapter in their life. More than 950 people have built life-long skills, careers, support systems and futures for themselves thanks to support from the BeOnsite team.
International property and investment group, Lendlease, launched BeOnsite in 2009 and the organisation is dedicated to helping people from disadvantaged groups find work in the construction industry. Their offer of specialist on-the-job training has led to long-term employment for people who are unemployed, homeless, ex-offenders, serving prisoners, from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community or suffer from disabilities.
Now in its 56th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winning businesses able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards Emblem for the next five years. BeOnsite won its award in the Promoting Opportunity category.
Michael, who was supported by BeOnSite, said: “It was amazing to know that I had come so far from where I had been. BeOnsite did so much to keep me moving on the same progressive path which has given me even more self-confidence. My family are really happy that I’ve done so well and tell me every now and again to remember where I have come from and to continue to keep at it. They all think I’m hard-working and I’m so proud of that fact.”
Jessica Mellor-Clark, Head of BeOnsite, said: “This is a huge honour for BeOnSite and a testament to the hard work of everyone involved in helping people gain employment in the construction industry. Stable, well-paid employment changes lives for the better, so together we can all make a difference both in construction, the wider industry and our society.”
