Safety and Wellbeing, and Environmental and Social Responsibility, are core values at Costain and we’re committed to ensuring the environment and communities thrive.
Our SHE Academy was established in 2008 and runs alongside the Graduate Programme. The Academy includes all our apprentices and trainees from the safety, health and environment professions.
The SHE Academy chairs run a series of site visits throughout the year. The visit usually involves a presentation from the site team, a visit to active work sites, and an opportunity to ask questions and really understand the SHE challenges and practices on that project.
Led by Gavin Bye, Costain’s group director of SHE, and overseen by Robbie McCabe (water sector SHE manager) and Joseph De La Fuente (senior environmental advisory), the Academy is a core community for our early career professionals.
Purpose and aims
The main aims and activities are:
- Quarterly visits to Costain, customer and supplier project sites to showcase safety, health and environmental practices, inspiring our early career professionals.
- Online and face to face Q&A sessions with Costain specialists from around the organisation to deliver talks on their area of expertise. Previous talks have included work winning and business development, procurement and supply chain strategy as well as process safety and plant standards.
- Real experience of the machinery and equipment involved on projects, from excavators to dump trucks, giving hands-on experience which brings SHE issues to life in a safe and controlled environment.
- SHE Academy members also undertake workshops during the visits to further develop their skills in areas such as public speaking, data and trends analysis, and behavioural management.
- Members contribute to a variety of projects aimed at improving personal development and recommending improvements to SHE procedures and documents. Previous examples include ownership of Costain World Environment Day activities, and updating competency plans and plant specification checklists.
- Further networking opportunities across Costain and supply chain.
The benefits
We’re really proud of our SHE Academy which has produced numerous senior advisors and managers who are now working across many of our projects.
“I’ve found that the SHE academy provides a superb platform for those starting out in the industry to connect and learn from each other, when we otherwise might never cross paths. It also provides exposure to the business, so we can see the crucial role Costain plays in UK infrastructure and the future.”
Salma Chentite Student environmental and sustainability advisor, Costain
“I am continuously impressed by the calibre of our graduate and apprentice intake and the young professionals who really want to make a difference through their careers. The Graduate and Apprentice SHE Academy gives a great start to their journeys with us and the foundations they need. The success of the scheme can be seen in the number of alumni in senior positions right across our safety, health and environmental team.”
Gavin Bye Group SHE director, sponsor of the academy