Association update

In December, CABE Wales Region hosted the buildeng Online regional conference. Held over two sessions, it featured industry experts exploring the theme of sustainability.

The fi rst session began with a discussion on Optimised Retrofi t by Andy Sutt on, Director of Innovation and Design at Sero Homes. This was followed by a presentation on Environmental Sustainability and Restoration of Historic Buildings by Nigel Gervis, Technical Director at Tŷ-Mawr Lime. A talk on Off -Site Manufacturing, linking to the Welsh Government’s climate emergency strategy of July 2019, was presented by Jasper Meade, Director at PYC Group.

The second session included presentations on How to Mainstream Net-Zero in the Built Environment, presented by CEO of Project Etopia, Joseph Daniels. Portakabin’s Approach to Sustainability in a UK and Welsh context was led by Dr Penny Carey FCABE, Sustainability Lead at Portakabin Limited. Charlott e Hale, Operations Director, and Verity Moorhouse, Design and Manufacturing Engineer, at Seven Oaks Modular discussed the Off -Site Manufacturing of Timber, Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and Skills Development.

Both sessions were followed by a live Q&A. Dr John Litt le, CABE Wales Chair, presided over the successful online event.

Aft er 12 years, Diane Westall has decided to retire from the Association. Diane was oft en the fi rst point of contact for those att ending professional interviews, and her ability to calm nerves and off er support has helped many people achieve success.

Since joining the Membership Team in February 2008, Diane has been passionate about the importance of professional membership and its role in demonstrating competence. This was exemplifi ed by her most recent role as Professional Review Manager and the part she played on the Engineering Council Project Team, which ensured the success of the Chartered Engineer registration process.

When I started at the Association, I asked Diane what she liked most about membership, and her response was the members – connecting and helping them to achieve their goals on their journey to become chartered, and helping them to prove their competence.

It goes without saying that Diane will be sorely missed by colleagues and members alike, but we wish her lots of happiness in her retirement.

CABE’s Learning, Education and Academic Director, John Barfoot, has been working with Local Authority Building Control (LABC) to accredit three of their qualifi cations: the Level 3 Certifi cate in Technical Support for Public Service Building Standards; the Level 4 Diploma in Public Service Building Control Surveying; and the Level 5 Diploma in Public Service Building Control Surveying.

These qualifi cations have been mapped against the CABE Competency Frameworks. The awarding of the accreditation proves that the LABC qualifi cations not only off er the highest learning standards but also equip learners with real-life skills that will help them to develop in their professional careers.

As a result of the CABE accreditation, successful learners on the LABC Level 3 qualifi cation can now apply for CABE Technician membership. Anyone who completes the Level 4 or 5 qualifi cation can apply for CABE Associate Member. This allows all learners to take their fi rst step on the path to CABE Chartered Membership.

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