Jill Hoggan, Director at Ridings Consulting, has undertaken a variety of volunteer roles at CIBSE over the years. She is currently one of the EPA Assessors and on the Talent Pipeline and Apprenticeships Panel, which is responsible for monitoring the delivery of the Institution’s careers development strategy. We asked her what she gained from these experiences.
When I started in the industry nearly 20 years ago, I immediately got involved with CIBSE Yorkshire. I approached them with the idea of setting up the YEN Yorkshire group, and they connected me with another engineer, Russell Entwistle. Together, we built up the group and its committee, creating a space for networking among the less experienced, along with CPDs and events. I also served on the main panel to be the voice between it and YEN. This experience was invaluable for meeting people across the industry and developing my presentation skills and event management.
Teaching and learning have always been passions of mine, which led me to teach part-time at Leeds College of Building. During my time there, I noticed discrepancies in the support apprentices were receiving. This motivated me to become involved with NVQ assessments, starting my journey with End-Point Assessments (EPAs), which I was already conducting at the college. When CIBSE advertised for EPA interviewers in 2019, I applied immediately. This opportunity allowed me to expand my network nationwide, meeting specialists in various areas. CIBSE also provided the chance to work on the Talent Pipeline and Apprenticeship Panel (TPAP), where we could influence standards and see initiatives like the CIBSE Flush Challenge come to life.
Being part of the next generation's journey to membership has been incredibly fulfilling, and I hope to have made the process enjoyable rather than just a checkbox on an apprenticeship sheet. CIBSE is a standard-setter dedicated to supporting our community, and the more of us that get involved, the better our industry will be. Sharing our strengths can provide support to others, and we never know what we might learn in return. My career would not have been as successful without my journey with CIBSE.
To learn more about the roles that Jill has undertaken, email [email protected]