In August 2019, Arup in Manchester hosted 22 children aged 8-12 over three days for The Decision Factory’s inaugural ‘Black Boys in Business’ programme.

The ‘Black Boys in Business’ (BBIB) programme aims to offer black students a soft introduction into different areas of business, aiming to peak interest in a range of careers from a young age. BBIB provides support through access to work experience opportunities, whilst promoting diversity within the corporate workforce.

Arup’s Manchester office partnered with The Decision Factory (TDF) for the first phase of the programme focussed within the Built Environment Sector.

According to current statistics taken from AFBE-UK, 6% of UK engineers come from black and ethnic minority backgrounds, although an average of 25% engineering graduates are black. The Decision Factory aims to help this sector increase the number of ethnic minority students who wish to pursue successful careers within the industry alongside tackling unconscious bias.

Over the course of a three-day workshop, the students were given presentations on Civil and Structural Engineering, Ecology and Sustainability Consulting as well as Project Management, Operational Consulting and Business Investment Advisory. There was also a day dedicated to showcasing Arup’s digital offering with the use of VR and SoundLab.

Mike Wilton, Manchester Office Leader stated “I really loved the energy and enthusiasm in the room when I came in, [and] I have seen from Arup colleagues who helped how much they enjoyed and gained from the experience.”

Joanne Clarke Gordon, Co-founder and Director of The Decision Factory adds “launching our first BBIB Programme with Arup was very exciting. It was fantastic to see the students truly enjoy and benefit from this opportunity.

To Arup, our volunteers, parents and students, TDF appreciates you and we thank you all. It’s with your support that our inaugural event was a huge success. We look forward to BBIB 2020!”

For further information or to discuss ways of working with The Decision Factory, contact us today.

View a selection of photos from the programme on our Facebook page.