Written evidence submitted by the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (DIV0019)

About CIHT

Founded in 1930, the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) is a charity, learned society and membership body with 12 UK nations / regions and a growing number of international groups. Our 14,500 members work in all parts of transport infrastructure. Around two thirds (9,500+) are employed as highway and transport engineers or studying STEM subjects in Further and Higher Education. The remainder work in professions aligned to engineering, with the majority being employed in transport planning which requires a range of technical skills including data analysis, modelling and scheme appraisal.

CIHT’s diversity data before 2021 is incomplete and does not give an accurate picture of the make-up of the membership over time. Due to database improvements and a campaign to encourage members to update their personal information, the quality of our data is improving. What we do know is that, as with most other professional engineering institutions, CIHT has an ageing membership with 48% of members over the age of 45.  Regarding gender, currently 86% of members have identified as male and 14% as female with 1% preferring not to say. This reflects the make-up of the workforce, which is predominantly male. However, CIHT’s male/female gender split improves when we look at new entrants to the membership, with 28% of members elected in 2021 identifying as female. Further work is planned for 2022 to update gender categories to include non-binary and transgender options.

From data collected in 2021, we know that 47% (415) of newly elected CIHT members are of black or Asian origin, with 21% of those residing outside the UK. Disability data remains patchy and is an area identified for improvement in 2022.   

CIHT and EDI

Inclusion is one of CIHT’s four core values and the Institution has worked with its members and stakeholders for several years on improving equality, diversity and inclusion in the sector.

EDI is embedded in CIHT’s governance structure. Our EDI work is overseen by the Diversity and Inclusion Panel which reports to the Trustees via the Membership & Member Services Board. This Board oversees the Institution’s progress and strategic direction on EDI and, from 2022, will set and monitor membership KPIs and report on the diversity of the membership to the Trustees annually. 

In 2015, CIHT published a Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit for employers, funded by a grant from the Royal Academy of Engineering. Around the same time, we introduced the CIHT Diversity and Inclusion Charter which has been signed by over 70 partner and stakeholder organisations, demonstrating their commitment to EDI principles and willingness to work with CIHT to effect positive change.

We hold regular workshops on EDI topics with our Partnerships Network (over 100 organisations representing the private sector, public sector and academia) and regional events led by volunteer members.

CIHT EDI Research

Although some organisations have made progress on EDI and pockets of good practice have started to emerge, there is still much work to be done to improve diversity and inclusivity across the sector, which is borne out by research commissioned by CIHT this year that revealed a number of systemic issues impacting on the creation of a truly diverse and inclusive workforce, for example:

Lack of encouragement from teachers/parents – Teachers and parents often hold assumptions or have prior views and experiences of working in ‘transport’ that influence the extent to which they inspire their students and motivate them to want to learn STEM subjects and pursue a career in our sector. There are challenges with some cultural perceptions of what it means to be an engineer or to work within the transport industry with more emphasis placed on selecting “desirable career paths” for example becoming a doctor or lawyer, due to perceived status and salary expectations. There is as much need for creativity and innovation in transport engineering as for scientific and mathematical skills and knowledge, however this if often overlooked or under-played when informing students of career options.

Lack of appreciation of contribution to society – most young people coming into the workforce are attracted to jobs that have a positive impact on their communities and the world around them, for example contributing to the net zero carbon footprint of the future. Transport is a major contributor to the climate crisis, however it is the knowledge and expertise of people working in the sector that will help us to achieve net zero and this needs to be given as much ‘air time’ as is given to the negative impact of transport on the environment.

Perception of poor work/life balance - Operational roles within the sector, and engineering and construction more generally, are not seen to be compatible with flexible working and the achievement of a good work/life balance.  Job constructs need to be challenged and reviewed to ensure that hybrid ways of working enable inclusivity and provide support for a balanced approach to work that prevents burn out and dismantles any expectation for employees to always be available.

Low number of visible role models - The relatively low number of visible role models from diverse backgrounds in transport infrastructure sends a subliminal message that ‘this sector is not for you’. More needs to be done to consistently highlight and celebrate the contribution of, for example, women, people from minority groups and those with disabilities in a way that extends beyond National Inclusion Week or Black History Month etc.   

Lack of promotion of diverse job roles - In recent years there has been a positive focus on STEM roles across engineering disciplines, including transport engineering, however there is a wide range of roles and opportunities which extend beyond the requirement for STEM subjects. Job descriptions often appeal to those who fall into a particular group with similar academic and social backgrounds, leading to a homogeneous rather than diverse workforce. There is a need to scan the horizon and re-imagine the diversity of skill sets that are needed for the future, most of which are very different from those currently driving the sector. For example, the need for manual and physical skills, as well as basic cognitive ones, will decline, but demand for technological (digitisation, AI, robotics smart data scientists), social and emotional (growth mindset, influencing behaviour, building relationships) and higher cognitive skills and diversity of thought will grow. There is a significant opportunity to leverage the opportunities available to attract new entrants with different skills sets and perspectives.

‘Macho’ workplace culture -The highways and transportation sector is predominantly white and male which creates a workplace culture that is not naturally inclusive or supportive of other groups. This is underlined by research published by Women in Transport in January 2021 which showed that over two-thirds (69%) of women working in the sector who responded to a survey thought that the ‘macho image’ was off-putting to women and girls considering, or attempting to pursue, a career in transport infrastructure. In CIHT’s own research, Mixed White and Black African and Caribbean respondents as well as other mixed / multiple ethnic backgrounds respondents all “somewhat disagreed” with the statement ‘diverse talent is attracted to work in this sector’, which again reflects a lack of inclusivity.

Subtle discrimination - Overt discrimination and harassment has become less common due to a general awareness that such behaviour is unacceptable legally and socially. A greater challenge now is the more subtle and subliminal forms of discrimination and the deep-rooted unconscious biases that individuals may hold. CIHT’s research found that subtle discrimination is common in many workplaces and is particularly stressful for victims to deal with because of its often higher frequency as compared to overt instances of discrimination. To tackle this, it is important to create a climate where subtle discrimination can be ‘called out’. This will require widespread training to increase the level of awareness and understanding around this issue.

Implications of lack of diversity for professional practice

A lack of diversity across decision makers in the sector inevitably impacts on the level of understanding that exists about the diverse needs of end-users which can, in turn, lead to design solutions that are not truly inclusive.

CIHT research has highlighted the need for thought leadership and an innovative approach to inclusive service delivery as a key priority. There is a need to move beyond the traditional focus of EDI initiatives to include a strategic focus on ensuring that those designing and delivering services are representative of the communities served. There is also a need to improve awareness and understanding of the diverse needs across communities and service users and design solutions that are fit for purpose for all users. This can be achieved by:

• Inclusive community engagement as related to the design and delivery of schemes to ensure that all community voices are represented in consultations.
• Adoption of a practice template for job design and job descriptions used in recruitment.
• Promotion of options for flexibility within roles upfront in the job design process – e.g. job share, part-time and flexible working hours - to improve the ability of organisations to attract and retain critical talent
• Changing how roles are advertised e.g. the creation of short videos and vlogs alongside job descriptions with current individuals in those roles talking about their day-to-day. This can also be used as an opportunity to highlight diverse talent in the sector more broadly as well as the diverse nature of the work within the sector.
• Challenging the historically required criteria listed on job descriptions to enable greater opportunity for bringing in transferable skill sets from other industries as well as to reduce barriers to entry to the sector; for example, challenge where a lack of formal education can be balanced with the right experience
• Coordinating research across STEM occupations to help understand how automation and digitisation will affect future skill needs as well as how to evaluate solutions for potential skill gaps.
• Establishing a sector-wide approach to re-skilling the existing workforce; setting out key principles to ensure that this is delivered inclusively and supports sector-wide levelling up vs. opportunities for re-skilling being limited to where there is the most investment. CIHT has a role to play to support SMEs across the sector in having equal access to up-skilling that is fully accessible and inclusive in its delivery.

CIHT Strategy and 5 Year Action Plan

CIHT’s EDI Strategy (to be launched in January 2022) identifies five key areas for action:

1              Leading by example

Embed EDI as integral to the mission and vision of CIHT through encouraging wider member participation in all aspects of governance and ensuring there are no barriers to membership and professional education.

2              Influencing practice

Using CIHT’s leadership position in the sector to influence culture, behaviour and EDI best practice with regard to inclusive design and placemaking.

3              Changing perceptions

Using diverse role models and best practice examples to change people’s view of the sector as a career choice and support an increase in representation across all areas of diversity.

4              Improving education

Increase inclusive EDI education opportunities, in addition to ensuring inclusivity of skillsets for the future.

5              Facilitating collaboration

Drive impact across the industry through fostering collaboration with key partners (the supply chain, government departments, Engineering Council, EngineeringUK, the Royal Academy of Engineering) to support sector-wide EDI progress.

January 2022

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