Membership benefit: Affect your community

When the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors recently sent out a member survey about CPD the results were very encouraging.

Almost 400 of you responded, from graduates to fellows - based throughout the UK and even as far afield as New Zealand.

Thanks to everyone that took the time to give their feedback and in particular for the any and varied answers to the survey’s final question:

‘Are there any other forms of CPD you feel that CICES could provide more of?’

And without going into individual specific answers (which will be shared with members later once collated), it’s clear that many of you have ideas.

And the best way to ensure you see the events (from online webinars to social get-togethers) you want become a reality?

By getting involved in your local CICES region.

How do CICES regional committees arrange events?

Typically, plans for new CPD and social events will be discussed during regional committee meetings.

Prospective speakers and venues will then be contacted to enquire about dates, prices and so on.

Often, guests will approach committee members themselves and offer to appear either in an online webinar, or (providing attendance numbers are feasible) at an in-person event.

The face-to-face networking and information sharing opportunities that these occasions provide are invaluable to CICES members.

And the convenience and cost-effectiveness of remote events has also led to a growth in demand.

Where possible, the committee members aim to deliver a programme throughout the year that caters for both commercial managers and geospatial professionals.

And often, in order to ensure relevant topics are covered, collaborative events will be arranged.

A recent notable example of this approach was the 2023 Manchester Lecture, co-hosted by the North West and North Wales region and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

But in order to ensure the continued delivery of successful and relevant events in any region, the input of CICES members like you is crucial.

What do you want to see in your region?

Since the onset of the pandemic made remote events a necessity, the appetite for online webinars has grown hugely.

And even since lockdown restrictions eased, it’s clear that many of our members still want to attend them, based on the survey responses.

The vast majority of webinars arranged by our regional committees are well-attended and highly-engaging for members.

Online events are also popular for a variety of reasons including:

• Lack of travel required
• Opportunity to revisit/view content at a later date
• Lower costs associated
• Easier to engage with for some members with non neurotypical or social needs

As well as online webinars, other regional CPD opportunities that were highlighted as desirable more than once included:

• Site visits to ongoing prominent projects
• Career development networking opportunities
• Events with a higher focus on geospatial specialisms

How can you have an influence?

The most straightforward way to have a say in what goes on in your local area is to be directly involved.

Fresh input from new members means that the types of events delivered will continue to reflect the wants and needs of our evolving membership.

Newly appointed chair of the Yorkshire region, Bernice Cowton FCInstCES explains her approach, saying:

‘The engagement and contribution of our membership is critical to enable me and the committee to shape what the next two years look like in Yorkshire, informing our decisions and ultimately delivering what is important to them.

'And I'm equally keen to tap into the rich diversity of thought and experience of our membership.

'Enhancing awareness and connectivity of the institute across the region is key to improving our ability and reach to attract the much-needed new talent to the profession and of course, to CICES.’

Umar Sultan TCInstCES, a recently joined member of the Yorkshire regional committee chaired by Bernice, outlines his reasons for getting involved:

‘I want to be part of the change in the civil engineering industry and really push the agenda for inclusion and diversity. 

‘During the month of Ramadan, I’ve explained to my fellow members what it means for me and how my company is accommodating to my religious beliefs. 

‘Although I’ve only been involved with the Yorkshire committee since February 2023, I’m hoping to make an impact and get involved as much as I can.

‘I’m looking forward to driving the discussions on stereotypes and diversity - and promoting the industry to younger up-and-coming surveyors!’

By sharing the responsibility of driving the institution’s golden threads of ‘sustainability’, ‘digitalisation’ and ‘EDI’, you can make a real contribution.

One with positive impacts for your own career prospects, as well as your industry and the fellow members in your community.

Contact CICES to find out more about contributing to your local regional committee.