A key part of the developments aiming to increase opportunities for members is the CIOB ambassadors programme, current undergoing a pilot phase in the South-west. Its aim is very simple. We are looking to match up members with the representational activities that come the way of the institute. In the process we also want to convince employers that being an ambassador is an excellent personal development opportunity and get their support. This is all underpinned by training from the institute.

But every member of the institute is an ambassador, and this ambassadorial role is a career-long commitment.

In recent months Construction Manager has carried a number of letters about the difficulties some members have had about recognition of their qualification with certain employers. In most cases when we bring this matter to the attention of the human resources people for that employer, this is resolved very quickly. Other times it’s more difficult. Something may have happened in the past involving a member which has coloured the view of someone about members of the CIOB as a whole. This is very unfair but is pretty typical and it is amazing how deep-rooted such prejudice can become. A prejudice developed 30 years ago is not going to be removed overnight. I would bet that anyone holding such prejudices has not developed professionally themselves anyway because if they had, then they would understand better the current environment.

Even the most cursory review of the appointments pages at the back of Building magazine tends to feature jobs where there are a range of professional qualifications quoted in the specification. To me this is an indicator of equivalence or comparability.

However all of this counts for nothing when a member does something or behaves in such a way as to undermine the confidence people and organisations have in them. Every member depends on all the other members for how they are perceived and recognition of the qualities of CIOB members is ultimately down to the experiences others have with us. So every member is an advertisement for all the others now and in the future.

Source

Construction Manager

Postscript

Chris Blythe is chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Building