Building People was founded in 2017 by Chief Dot-Joiner, Rebecca Lovelace, supported through seed funding from founding partners University College of Estate Management (UCEM), The Chartered Surveyors’ Company and The Chartered Surveyors Training Trust (CSTT). 

Like many others, Rebecca identified major challenges affecting the built environment sector, writing, “The UK needs to build; there is a shortage of skilled workers and the workforce we have lacks diversity.”

The solution offered by Building People is a platform that aggregates careers opportunities from built environment organisations, and connects them to providers delivering careers support to diverse and under-represented audiences. Building People simplifies the user journey through bringing together the multitude of careers opportunities in one place, and supports, connects and enables the grassroots providers that work with the diverse people that our sector needs. 

Building People takes a multi-faceted approach to addressing the lack of diversity within the Built Environment. The aggregating and connecting platform brings together a range of resources, events and work opportunities in one, easy-to-search, database with over 380 organisations having joined in since the platform’s launch. The Building People ‘Communities Network’ brings together more than 45 organisations that work directly with diverse individuals (e.g. women, BAME people, ex-military personnel, LGBTQ+ people, refugees, disabled people, ex-offenders and young people), taking a joined-up approach to delivering practical and collaborative change across all supply and demand parts of the sector.

The aim of Building People is not to duplicate effort, instead promoting and connecting existing built environment equality, equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives for the greatest social impact. One way this is achieved is through partnering with other organisations to connect their websites to the Building People platform, specifically to the aggregated listings of events, resources and work opportunities. This means that diverse people visiting the websites of other organisations can easily see careers opportunities, all in one place and easy to access.

2021 saw a major milestone for the social enterprise, with its three-year incubation under UCEM coming to an end and Building People becoming an independent entity. 

There are many ways to join in with Building People, from adding your own opportunities to the platform, donating via Patreon, amplifying Building People’s message through social media channels, becoming part of the ‘Communities Network’, or convincing your organisation to become an official Supporter.