In 2023, Costain launched the Empower Programme, a career development programme designed to support our women talent in reaching their career goals.
Diversity at all levels of Costain is fundamental to effective decision making and delivering high performance. Everyone should feel able to participate, contribute and achieve their goals. The Empower Programme’s principles, tools and content apply to everyone.
The challenge
A people survey carried out in 2022 by our employee-led Women’s Network revealed that 50% of respondents identified a lack of confidence as a key barrier to career progression, with respondents also citing challenges in visibility and networking. 85% of respondents expressed a desire for some form of development.
We know how important it is to have a diverse and inclusive workplace for our people, customers and investors. We’ve listened to our people-led Women’s Network and have developed a powerful career development programme that is helping our women thrive in their careers.
Samantha Anthony Programme learning and development advisor, Costain
Our approach
Based on the emergent themes from the survey and existing EDI data, we developed the Empower Programme, a career development programme designed to help women in the business to:
- use self-awareness tools to improve their confidence
- raise awareness of their strengths and values
- gain clarity on their next career steps
- connect with women peers and senior leaders in the business to share challenges around career development and strategies to navigate them.
Costain’s Empower Programme provides bespoke development opportunities focusing on career goals and aspirations. In parallel to the structured eight-month programme, line managers are supported to advocate for candidates during and after the programme. This includes raising awareness of the differences in how men and women approach work, and some of the challenges women face in the workplace.
The first Costain Empower Programme was launched in 2023. The programme included a regular drumbeat of structured workshops and presentations as well as less formal peer mentoring groups. These mentoring circles provided a space for the cohort to come together in smaller groups to discuss what they had taken from the previous session and reflect on what they had heard or experienced.
The structured sessions covered skill development such as vision and goal-setting, and self-awareness tools in relation to building confidence and clarity. Inspirational talks were part of the programme and included a panel Q&A with senior leaders from across the business, and motivational speakers (Penny Haslam author of ‘Make Yourself a Little Bit Famous’ and BBC Presenter, and Civil Engineer, Ayo Sokale) who shared their personal experiences about how they have achieved success in their careers.
A key outcome of the programme was connecting individuals across Costain with people they could relate to personally and professionally. Costain was named in the Times Top 50 employers for Gender Equality in 2024, in recognition of initiatives to drive gender equality.
The benefits
After completing the programme, learners have access to self-awareness tools to identify and confidently articulate their strengths, support from senior leaders and mentors, and are connected with inspiring women inside and outside of the business.
An Empower Alumni has been established to keep these communities connected and continue the peer-to-peer support.
The numbers
58%
of participants have been promoted since completing the programme
17%
of participants have made a lateral move since completing the programme
100%
increase in self-confidence and awareness
The Empower Programme has really supported me with understanding my strengths and reflecting on my career so far. It has allowed me to understand where my focus needs to be and enabled me to gain the tools to get there. Hearing career journey stories from inspiring women within and outside of Costain was a key highlight of the programme for me. The programme has opened up a network of inspiring women in the business outside of my usual area, which has boosted my confidence in taking opportunities.
Programme participant