Helping the homeless back into work at HCE

Last summer, Howard Civil Engineering pledged our support to local charity The Howarth Foundation’s Business Building Futures initiative, and we are pleased to say we have since employed two of The Howarth Foundation‘s previously homeless clients.

The Howarth Foundation is an esteemed local charity actively partnering those who have lived chaotic lifestyles and experienced homelessness and addiction with training opportunities and jobs to help them get back on their feet.

Over the past nine months, Howard Civil Engineering have worked with The Howarth Foundation to offer Emma Brier and Dominic Bourke permanent positions in our office and on-site.

Michael Howard, Managing Director at Howard Civil Engineering, explained our approach to employing people who have previously led a more chaotic lifestyle: “We are firm believers in giving people second chances and judging others based on your own personal experiences with them. We don’t believe the stereotype that everyone with a chaotic background will be a bad employee. Instead, we have always endeavoured to create a company culture that is accepting of people from all walks of life.”

“We certainly intend to provide further opportunities to clients of The Howarth Foundation who possess the relevant skills and ambition to work in the construction industry, whether that be on-site or in our offices,” he continued. “The scheme has worked well for Howard Civil Engineering as it supports our recruitment needs whilst providing people from chaotic backgrounds with a sense of stability and a platform to kick start their careers in construction.”

*Site Operative, Dominic Bourke (left), and Procurement Administrator, Emma Brier (right).*

Emma Brier accepted a permanent office-based role as Procurement Administrator in September 2019 and in March 2020, we were also pleased to extend a permanent position as a site operative to Dominic Bourke, another client of The Howarth Foundation.

Andy Howarth, CEO at The Howarth Foundation, explained: “After getting to know Dominic we realised he had an interest in civil engineering, so teaming him up with Howard Civil Engineering was the perfect match. We assisted him to gain his CSCS card and purchased work clothing for him to be site ready.”

Commenting on Emma and Dominic’s journey so far, Managing Director Michael Howard was highly complementary: “Dominic and Emma have made a hugely positive impact since joining the company. Not only is their work ethic admirable, but they have also proven their ability to integrate seamlessly into their respective teams and adopt our company culture and values.”

“We would strongly advise any employers in Yorkshire to approach The Howarth Foundation and learn how they can help businesses meet their recruitment needs in the same way Howard Civil Engineering did,” he continued. “It is not only extremely rewarding but we have found it mutually beneficial to both parties.”