Amplifying our voice
BCIA President Stacey Lucas explains how making the building controls industry more inclusive and diverse will help to amplify the BCIA’s voice in policy making and closing the skills gap.
In my introductory blog I highlighted the diversity of avenues there are into the building controls industry. There will be many like me who joined without any prior knowledge of the mystical magic that is building controls and progressed up the ladder as they learned more about the industry. I joined Sontay in 2001 as a Customer Service Advisor and worked my way up through customer service, sales, operations and marketing areas of the business. During this time I have established long lasting relationships with many connections in our industry. The experience and insight I have gained in these years has given me a strong base of industry knowledge and technical understanding which continues to prove invaluable in this ever-evolving sector.
Flying the flag
Diversity is something I am also passionate about flying the flag for in the industry as a whole. A diverse demographic means a better-rounded association. Some time ago I heard a comment about the industry being pale, male and stale, I believe we have made great strides to bring in fresh talent with their ideas, skills and opinions that will shape the industry of the future. I want the BCIA to hear the voices of all. If only certain people form part of our working groups contribute then the decisions made reflect that demographic. The more people are involved and the more voices are heard, the actions taken are more of a true reflection of the whole industry. The industry is growing and changing at the fastest rate than it ever has and the association needs to play part of that journey. It should continue to embrace new technologies and make alliances with associations aligned with these technologies.
It is important now to build on the great progress already made in a number of areas, such as amplifying the voice of the BCIA to highlight the value of building controls, influencing policy makers, changing perceptions about the wider industry and promoting our inclusivity. Making more people aware of the industry and the brilliant, exciting careers available will help solve the skills shortage. It will push what we can do much closer to the top of the agenda for those creating the policies that will shape the future of buildings, which will in turn contribute to continual industry growth.
Our ongoing investment in training also remains a top priority as we look to promote the building controls sector as a career of choice. One of the ways in which we can do this is celebrating apprenticeships, which is something that National Apprenticeship Week in February allowed us, along with a wide variety of other industries. National Apprenticeship Week provided an opportunity for top employers and organisations to come together and inform people about their opportunities to thousands of candidates who are actively seeking an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are a crucial part of the building controls industry and it is up to us as an organisation to showcase our sector as an exciting place to be.
See you at the Eastside!
Finally, we’re just a couple of months away from the BCIA’s highlight of the year – the BCIA Awards – which will take place in a fresh new venue this year, at Birmingham’s Eastside Rooms. The finalists have now been announced and I would like to congratulate everybody who has been shortlisted in some very tough categories. I look forward to celebrating with many of you on the night and seeing who takes home the glittering prizes!