Last year I raised the issue of the influence and profile of the CIOB in the Scottish local authority environment.

Particularly the lack of recognition of member professional status and discrimination, which leaves CIOB members financially disadvantaged, as local authority employers insist that the CIOB is merely a technical institute.

My employer, Inverclyde Council, does not recognise the CIOB as a "professional institute" (in the same light as the RIBA,CIBSE, ICE or RICS ), and although my questions were initially investigated by the professional and technical section of the CIOB, this has now fizzled out.

It's all very nice for the CIOB to write about jollies to China, but I think there are real issues at home like this one which are being ignored.

I am slowly being persuaded that my employer is right, membership of the CIOB within the Scottish industry environment is meaningless. You can have a first-class honours degree in construction management and be a registered/assessed building surveyor: just don't try to gain recognition for it.

What is the point of someone in my shoes training for and gaining full corporate membership of the CIOB? Apparently none.

Is anybody lobbying the Scottish Parliament? Has anybody researched how many members are fully recognised by Scottish local authority employers?

Does the director of the Scottish region care about this? Does any body at the CIOB care about this, or am I better off leaving to join the RICS?

Perhaps these questions should be put to new president Alan McMullen.

Gordon Henderson MCIOB

Source

Construction Manager