A NORTH-EAST initiative is leading the way in stamping out discrimination in the construction industry after new equality legislation was implemented.

The ConstructED scheme, which is the first of its kind in the UK, has been created to implement and promote equality and diversity policies and tackle inequality in the male-dominated construction industry, which has few disabled workers or employees from ethnic minorities.

The scheme has been launched by Sunderlandbased Assessment North-East and has already gained support from companies within the industry, as well as the North East Chamber of Commerce.

Initially, it will work on a regional level, but plans are in place to expand the scheme nationally.

It has been launched to promote fairer and more equal workplaces and help companies comply with the recentlyimplemented Equality Act 2010, as well as directives from the European Commission on Human Rights.

Failure to comply with the new laws can result in fines and legal bills totalling thousands of pounds.

Figures from 2008 and 2009 show that the average compensation awarded in tribunal cases associated with race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or age discrimination was £19,000.

The maximum award made in this period was £1.5m for a race discrimination case.

The new legislation means that unless employers can prove they have taken reasonable steps to prevent employees from discriminating, and to stop discrimination, harassment or victimisation in the course of employment, they will be held legally culpable.

Furthermore, for public sector organisations and companies with public sector customers, equality and diversity now play a central role in procurement, with many construction companies having to prove their equality and diversity credentials when being considered for contracts.

ConstructED is working with the region’s construction companies to ensure all aspects of their work adhere to their legal equality and diversity obligations.

The scheme also helps companies achieve the nationallyrecognised Diversity Assured award.

Robert Macleod, managing director of Assessment North- East, said: “This is a sectorleading initiative which we are proud to have launched, in an industry where many companies themselves will acknowledge they have a lot of work to do.

“Having equality and diversity policies and procedures in place, which are adhered to and all staff are aware of, is not only important because it’s the right thing to do – but now, more so than ever before, it is a legal obligation to follow these policies and procedures.”

James Ramsbotham, chief executive of the North-East Chamber of Commerce, said: “ConstructED is a dynamic initiative, which promotes the hugely important issues of equality and diversity, and offers a means to achieve equality and diversity goals to companies which need it most. We are very pleased to support the project.”