By John Challen

CIHT’s Masterclass series of webinars continue to go from strength to strength, offering a unique opportunity for members to learn, engage and build on their continuing personal development (CPD).

“Each year we provide a new and revised programme of six Masterclasses on different topics that reflect the challenges transport professionals are facing every day,” explains Sara Zuin, Senior Policy Advisor, CIHT. “Their success is indicated by the fact that the audience has grown over time, with webinars now featuring hundreds of attendees per event. That rise demonstrates the value of them and how members are finding the content useful.”

Inclusivity is a big part of Masterclasses – they are free for all members, but accessible to all (partners get a discounted price and non-members can access them “for a very competitive cost,” says Zuin). They also feature projects and initiatives from all over the country and focus on issues and challenges that engineers and professionals currently face.

“Masterclasses are the perfect opportunity for transport professionals to hear about real-life situations directly from the people who have delivered those projects. Because they are interactive, attendees therefore have the opportunity to ask questions and share their own experiences with guest speakers, making a truly two-way conversation,” says Zuin. “Knowledge sharing is one of the most important learning tools for the industry as we all face unprecedented challenges for which we need to come up with solutions. Some of the most prominent at the moment are decarbonisation, technology and climate change.”

Guest speakers

Zuin says that the guest speakers and topics are carefully chosen, looking specifically at current projects ongoing within the industry, or examples of outstanding best practice from which professionals can learn from.

“[A] Masterclass also offers a safe space to share challenges and issues and brainstorm solutions,” she adds. “Attended by transport professionals, in the virtual room, a high level of expertise and also diversity of skills is on show, which makes conversations interesting as different professional backgrounds will bring different contributions.”

But it’s important to note that the work doesn’t stop at the end of the Masterclass. “Our guest speakers are always happy to leave their details so [the] audience can connect afterwards, ask more questions and collaborations can start,” confirms Zuin.

In the area of decarbonisation, Zuin is aware that there is a lot for transportation and highways professionals to learn, but reassures members that CIHT is there to help: “The biggest challenge around decarbonisation is the pace and scale at which we need to deliver net zero by 2050. This means we need to change – and quickly. That timescale puts pressure on transport professionals to come up with new solutions to test and trial.

“When it comes to skills, we need to upskill the younger professionals, but also those in more senior positions. To this end, CIHT has put together a series of resources for its members within its decarbonisation framework, our Transport Decarbonisation Pathway.

“The pathway provides a high-level summary of important transport decarbonisation topics and is intended to help identify personal CPD objectives and turn them into an action plan. The areas of this guidance you choose to focus on should reflect your job role, the stage of your career, whether you are working towards a professional qualification and any other relevant aspect of your personal circumstances – you should not feel you have to cover every topic.”

A lot of different subjects have been covered by the Masterclass series already, but plans are already underway to feature more important industry issues. “For the rest of 2025, we’ve planned Masterclasses on the topics of sustainable travel, funding and safety,” confirms Zuin.

Discover the latest CIHT Masterclasses and other CIHT events on our event listings pages.

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