ROBERTSON has announced it has been awarded the highest Investors in Young People (IIYP) accolade, receiving Platinum accreditation in recognition of its commitment to being an employer of choice for young people aged 16-28.
IIYP recognises employers that attract, recruit, develop and retain young people. During an assessment period, IIYP explored the business’ strategies, culture, initiatives and working practices in addition to having discussions with 100 employees about their experiences.
Robertson is now one of only 15 organisations to achieve IIYP Platinum status, and earlier this year retained its Investors in People Gold accreditation.
CEO Elliot Robertson said, “This is an incredible achievement which shows that we are truly committed to ensuring each young person has the necessary development and opportunities to become high-performing individuals as part of Team Robertson.
“Our people will always be at the heart of everything we do. Young people are instrumental to our success and have been an integral part of our DNA since the business was founded, indeed one of the very first employees almost 60 years ago was an apprentice. Since then, we have been on a journey of continuous improvement for all employees and have introduced people strategies, including one specifically geared to the next generation. Its purpose is to provide meaningful personal career development and engagement opportunities that empower individuals to achieve their full potential and career aspirations.
“The sectors that we work in are constantly evolving and like many others are being impacted by the ageing skills gap. We want to play our part in closing that gap and encourage more young people to take up careers within the built environment.
“This recognition from IIYP demonstrates how we are committed to ensure each unique individual is supported, developed, and most importantly, listened to. We believe that creating a safe, inclusive and diverse environment is essential for our young people to be the drivers of change and have their voices heard. By investing in their future and supporting them on long-term career pathways, we hope that our current young people will leave the same positive influence on the next generation, continuing the legacy of developing young people as part of Team Roberson and in turn creating a strong talent pipeline.”
Robertson has programmes in place to support the development of potential future leaders. A range of early career opportunities are offered with tailored development and support, including intern and graduate programmes alongside traineeships, apprenticeships and work placements.
Elliot Robertson added, “Part of our focus to attract young people to a career in our industries is by actively engaging with the young people in the communities where we work. This is through strong engagement with education and youth employment providers, supported by our regional social impact teams.
“It’s essential that employment opportunities and the chance to inform career choices for young people who may face barriers to work are addressed. We are hoping that by being IIYP Platinum accredited, more young people will be encouraged to consider a long-term career with us, where they know that they will have a voice, an opportunity to make a difference and be valued.”
Nicola Dillon, practitioner, Investors in People Community Interest Company, commented, “On behalf of IIP CIC, I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate Robertson Group for achieving the prestigious Investors in Young People Platinum accreditation. Platinum is the highest accolade that can be achieved against the Investors in Young People standard and is currently held by only 6% of our Investors in Young People accredited organisations. This is a massive achievement seen only by organisations with high performing youth employment practices over a long period of time.
“Robertson Group is a standout employer of choice for attracting, developing and retaining young people and is an exemplary employer for the sector to be benchmarked against. What stands out is their NextGen Network of young people driven by a group of NextGen Ambassadors, NextGen Champions and an executive sponsor group. NextGen are fully empowered to set and drive forward the youth strategy and continually improve the youth employment practices in real time. I would also like to commend Robertson Group for its standout family culture of belonging and its commitment to career development, Diversity, Equality & Inclusion, and wellbeing which enables young people to recognise Robertson Group as a career for life.”
