CIHT South West comprises: Bournemouth; City of Bristol; Cornwall; Devon; Dorset; Gloucestershire; Guernsey; Isles of Scilly; Jersey; Plymouth; Poole; Somerset; Swindon; Torbay and Wiltshire. With the Cotswolds, Hardy’s Wessex, Dartmoor and Exmoor and the surfing beaches of Cornwall, it is hardly surprising that we are often host to other regions, most notably the CIHT Northern Ireland. South West organises a range of events across the year and currently have two Young Members Committee in Exeter and Bristol, as well as the main committee covering the whole of the South West.
As Chair of the South West region, I wanted to send a message to all local Highways & Transport professionals to encourage you to maintain and use your association with the CIHT to help you through the difficult time that we are all experiencing at the moment. Whether you are working from home or currently furloughed, it’s really important that you stay connected and keep up to speed with what’s going on in the sector and your local area. This can help you to carry on with your career development both in this challenging period, when corporate CPD schemes and training may have been scaled-back, and to ensure that you are in the best position to carry on with your career development post-Covid 19.
You may have noticed that CIHT is offering more CPD webinars which will keep you informed and support your professional development. We are providing regular updates on the state of the sector and up-to-the-minute news on our website, which is transport-specific.
In addition to the webinars that the CIHT is holding nationally, the South West region is developing a programme of events to cover both regional-specific and national challenges in the sector. As a region, we are proud to consistently deliver an engaging programme of events, supported by our two Emerging Professional’s Groups. Recently we held a well-attended and well-received seminar on the development and instatement of a Clean Air Zone in Bristol. We have also made the presentations from our Annual Conference, held in February 2020, available via the CIHT Members Area; this includes a summary write-up of the ‘Unconference’ debate held during the day. As a region, we are committed to providing CPD opportunities during this period of social distancing: we are currently developing plans to hold webinars covering professional development and technical events on key challenges in the sector, including the response to the climate change emergency.
For those who have yet to renew their membership this year, I understand that paying your membership subscription may not be a priority, or may be financially difficult right now. The CIHT is committed to supporting everyone in the sector through this challenging time. How? Firstly, by waiving the reinstatement fee and, secondly, by having conversations with members about payment options and taking advantage of the concessionary subscription rate. The membership team (membership@ciht.org.uk) would be pleased to hear from you.
Remember, CIHT is your membership body and it is here to help you.
The Region Committee includes representatives from quarry companies, contractors and consultants and local authorities. The membership incorporates a wide range of employers with a strong representation from consultants, central and local government, contractors and the materials industry.
If you wish to get involved, please do not hesitate to contact us via e: southwest@ciht.org.uk
We organise regular social and networking events. Because of the size of the area covered, our events are held at various locations including Bristol, Exeter, Taunton, Plymouth, Dorchester and Gloucester. One of the highlights of the South West calendar is the Annual Conference & Dinner. More information can be found on our events pages.
Get in touch with the local committee e: southwest@ciht.org.uk