An employment agency which supplies staff to the construction industry across the UK has been crowned Company of the Year at our annual business awards.
Fortel, which is headquartered in Walsall, places thousands of agency staff at more than 130 locations and also trains the next generation of industry workers.
It won our brand new Diversity and Inclusion category before being picked from the other winners to be named our overall Company of the Year at tonight's Birmingham BusinessLive Awards in association with the Birmingham Post 2022 (scroll down for full list of winners).
Our judges described the company as a disruptor in its field and were impressed with its work in diversity and inclusion and how it excelled in a difficult sector during the pandemic.
Fortel opened a new head office last year near the M6 which also contains a training academy to upskill workers from all backgrounds across the West Midlands.
It also carried out an initiative called 'Top 5 by 2025' which promised to increase under-represented demographics in its own workforce by 25 per cent by 2025.
It is hosting a 'Diversity and Inclusion Fortnight' including training and keynote speaker events while its #MakeItStick campaign encouraged construction industry leaders to sign a pledge to embrace diversity.
Staff completed courses and ambassador programmes focussed on issues such as fairness, respect, mental health and LGBTQ+, with staff wearing stickers on hard hats to highlight their experience and knowledge.
The scheme won backing from the Mace Dragados joint venture which is working on the HS2 terminal at London Euston with staff there undertaking courses.
Away from the construction sites, Fortel has teamed up with the One Walsall charity to help provide 20 meals every Tuesday to homeless hostel Happy Times Housing.
It has also worked with Birmingham homeless support services charity SIFA Fireside to provide meals at Christmas, repair its path so those with disabilities can access the facility and is collaborating with it on recruitment to attract the unemployed into the construction industry.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Amarvir Sandhawalia, group chief operating officer at Fortel, told BusinessLive: "We are a BME-owned business so diversity is at the forefront of what we do and in our own workforce.
"In construction, we have seen over time that there's a struggle with diversity and, as an industry going forward, we have to diversify and move into different pools for talent selection which we haven't done in the past.
"We are all looking at the same job boards so, for example, host a jobs fair in areas that are under-represented within the construction industry. Women and people from certain ethnic and educational backgrounds are all under-represented.
"There is a lot of work being done with schools and colleges by both us and our clients at the moment. We would like to continue on the path we are on, look at areas of the industry in which we are not so strong and strive to make it more inclusive."
Birmingham Post editor Graeme Brown said: "My congratulations goes to all of our finalists and winners and especially Fortel.
"Diversity and inclusion in the business world has moved from the fringes to the heart of the conversation so perhaps it's fitting that the winner of our first ever award for D&I has also been named our overall Company of the Year.
"Our judging panel was impressed with its commitment to helping all sections of society to address a crippling skills shortage in the construction industry.
"After what has been a very hard two years for the business world, it is heartening to see companies across the West Midlands continuing to recruit, thrive and innovate."
The event was held at the ICC in Birmingham city centre and was our first in-person business awards for two and half years because of the pandemic.
The ceremony was hosted by Heart FM broadcaster Ed James, who was also a finalist in the Professional Services category with his PR company HDY Agency, and was supported by event partners Albert's Schloss, Boardrm and Fazenda, with live band The Tzars providing the entertainment.
The full list of winners at our 2022 awards is below and click through here to read the shortlist:
Small Business of the Year
Acutec
New Business of the Year
Voilo
Diversity and Inclusion Award and Company of the Year
Fortel
Professional Services Firm of the Year
Shoosmiths
Property and Construction Business of the Year
Port Loop
Third Sector Organisation of the Year
Acorns Children's Hospice
CSR Project of the Year
Martin James Network
Green Business of the Year
The Appliance Recycling Group
Young Businessperson of the Year
Henrietta Brealey, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce
