Walking the journey together Progressive organisations are constantly reviewing their place in the world, and what their brand represents. Creating a culture that actively addresses biases and provides equal opportunities — regardless of gender, race, beliefs, sexuality or ability — is a priority for the A.G. Coombs Group. The A.G. Coombs Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan (2023-2025) is a catalyst for change. By holding a mirror up to its own operations, and partnering with external business and community stakeholders, A.G. Coombs has crafted an Action Plan that looks to cast aside historical industry disparities in representation.
These pathways transcend many of the traditional employee value propositions in the building and construction sector and highlight the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in a truly inclusive and purposeful organisation.
Anchoring this into practice, the 50+ actions outlined in the A.G. Coombs Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan cascade from three key pathways identified as having the greatest possible impact in transitioning and transforming the organisation. These include:
With an empathic understanding of the historical injustices and imbalances towards Indigenous peoples, A.G. Coombs has implemented policies that look to actively engage Indigenous businesses, regardless of where those businesses may be in their development journey. This includes direct engagement or support via specialist subcontractors and the supply chain ecosystem.
• Indigenous Pathways — a commitment to working with partners and the communities served by A.G. Coombs to create an industry that offers meaningful and sustained employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. • Advancement of Women — a sustained emphasis on equity in all workplace positions, actively encouraging women to apply for every role within the organisation. • People of all Abilities — focusing on what A.G. Coombs employees can do rather than what they can’t do and a dedication to creating greater employment options for people of all abilities.
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Building Efficiency 2024-2025
Excellence through people Misconceptions of overly-physical work have led to entrenched myths and biases in the building and construction industry, acting as barriers to women, people with disabilities and older workers.
Social procurement
A.G. Coombs is a member of Supply Nation and a Platinum Partner of the Kinaway Chamber of Commerce – organisations that work directly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses to progress the participation of Indigenous businesses in the broader economy. Beyond Indigenous networks, social procurement at A.G. Coombs extends to local supply chains that include disability enterprises, majority womenowned businesses and veteran-owned businesses.
A unified maturity across the industry has been helping to redress these inequalities. A.G. Coombs is taking direct action by providing a strategic framework to remove the old-guard barriers to participation. By prioritising voice and participation, the A.G. Coombs Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Action Plan is providing a pathway to ensure the voices of people from diverse backgrounds are heard. From the plant room to the boardroom, this leads to increased participation and a direct influence of policy decisions, opportunities and culture. “As one of the key pathways within the Action Plan, gender equity and the advancement of women is centred around the practical building blocks that advance female participation rates across all business streams,” says Kerry Ryan, A.G. Coombs Group Non-Executive Board Member and Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair. “The ‘inclusion’ part of D&I is so important because when you achieve true inclusiveness, you also achieve a sense of belonging. That’s the ultimate outcome.”