Founded by Steve Rawlings, Building Lives is a community interest company (CIC) that provides local underemployed residents with training and skills to find sustainable job opportunities in the long-term. If you caught on to the pun in its name, this social enterprise is a building and construction company.
In 2010 the first Building Lives Academy (this one in Camden) opened with help from its partners: a college, a non-profit organization working to end homelessness and a social landlord. This kind of collaboration is key to the success of all of the locations. There are four more in addition to the initial location and the team is looking to open six more this year.
Contact Information
Building Lives CIC website
Building Lives on Twitter
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Sustainable Construction Training
- The rise of sustainable construction practices creates an opportunity for companies and institutions to invest in training programs that teach these practices to future industry professionals.
- Collaborative Partnerships in Workforce Development
- Creating partnerships between educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and social enterprises like Building Lives can lead to successful workforce development programs that benefit communities and businesses simultaneously.
- Social Enterprise in Construction
- Building Lives' success as a CIC shows how social entrepreneurship can lead to both business growth and community impact in the construction industry.
Where This Applies
- Construction
- Construction companies can innovate by investing in sustainable practices training and by partnering with social enterprises like Building Lives to create workforce development programs that benefit their communities and their businesses.
- Education
- Educational institutions can innovate by developing curriculums and programs that teach students about sustainable construction practices and partnering with organizations like Building Lives to provide hands-on training opportunities.
- Non-profit
- Non-profit organizations working towards community development can innovate by partnering with social enterprises like Building Lives to create unique workforce development programs that provide training, employment opportunities, and community benefits all at once.
