The CIOB has released a new video featuring six CIOB ambassadors talking about their roles in promoting the CIOB and its work, and the value that the experience has brought to them personally and professionally.
The project hopes to encourage more members who have gained significant experience in their professional roles to take on the voluntary title.
CIOB ambassadors represent the CIOB at events, in the media and in cross-industry working groups.
The video features BIM and design management consultant John Eynon FCIOB, who notes that while being an ambassador can be about “giving away” information and expertise, he has also benefited from the increased knowledge and contact from within the industry.
“It’s a privilege. It adds something to my profile, and it’s important as an industry that we can share knowledge across all the different silos and groups. Being a CIOB ambassador helps me do that,” he says.
Kahlil Ur Rahman MCIOB (pictured) represents the CIOB on the Construction Industry Council’s diversity panel, and also uses his position as an ambassador to promote sustainability.
He explains: “The main priority for me is to do with diversity. Being from an ethnic minority, there are a lot of perceptions people have about racism and various issues, and one of the reasons I joined [the programme] is to try to build the bridges, and to try to discuss those perceptions that people still have. You’ve got to be part of the whole process to try to change it.”
Kevin Dawson FCIOB says that the role gives him a platform to promote the CIOB within his specialist area – the Building Control profession. He also appreciates being in contact with the new generation of construction professionals. “I really enjoy developing people, developing students, and encouraging them to join the building control profession,” he says.
Dawn Parias MCIOB (pictured), a lecturer on CIOB diploma courses, says that the role allows her to ensure that what she teaches in the classroom is directly related to current best practice. “I like the framework of the CIOB education courses to meet with the requirements of the construction industry. We’re a fast-moving industry, and we need to keep up to date with what’s happening out there.”
Through being an ambassador, Parias was invited to act as a judge in the CIOB and Olympic Delivery Authority’s Outstanding Achievement Awards in 2011.
Andrew Townsend FCIOB, who works for Bristol’s Archaeological Services team, says that the role has widened his knowledge of contemporary practice in the construction industry, including BIM. He describes how he was involved with the CIOB’s Carbon Action 2050 initiative, and he also sits on the review panel for CIOB candidates seeking Chartered Environmentalist status.
And Colin France FCIOB represented the CIOB on the industry’s Pay as You Save committee, which helped to lay the groundwork for the current Green Deal. He also commented that the ambassador role had given him extensive insights into different aspects of construction and construction law.
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