CIOB Fellowship now confirmed as being benchmarked at Master’s degree level

The Chartered Institute of Building’s award of Fellowship status demonstrates a very high level of achievement; Fellows are amongst the most experienced and knowledgeable professionals in the industry. This has now been recognised by NARIC, the designated national agency for the recognition and comparison of international qualifications. NARIC have benchmarked the Fellowship grade as being comparable to Master’s Degree level for those completing the process from November 2018 onwards.

The Fellowship route is also now more open than it has ever been. Driven by the existing body of CIOB Fellows, there have been changes to the assessment for Fellowship status, including development of a new pathway to Fellowship for those who aren’t CIOB Members – for the very first time, the Fellowship is open to non-members. This route doesn’t rely on qualifications to apply but requires an applicant to demonstrate effective leadership of people, leadership within organisations and a contribution to the improvement of the sector.

The route to Fellowship for current CIOB Members is similar to the previous route but the character of the process was changed to reflect the changing needs of the construction industry.

Ros Thorpe, the CIOB’s Associate Director of Education and Standards, said of the revised Fellowship process: “The intention behind the changes was to better highlight the leadership qualities candidates have developed and make sure the standard is keeping up with the needs of the construction industry in the 21st century. I also hope it encourages more candidates to go for Fellowship in the middle of their careers, really demonstrating their skills and the value of their roles.”

Denis Leonard FCIOB, Head of Integrated Management Systems at construction company GRAHAM and one of the first to be awarded the Fellowship under the revised process, said: “Achieving FCIOB was very significant to me. It was a watershed moment in my career and, after years of hard work, it felt like I had reached the pinnacle of my profession. Earning the Fellowship made me reflect on my career, particularly the steps it took me to achieve this prestigious qualification. Ultimately, FCIOB is proof of my professional credentials. It provides assurance to my colleagues and our clients of the experience, qualifications, competence, professionalism and leadership that I bring to my work.”

The assessments, both for existing members looking to upgrade and those looking to gain the Fellowship directly, include a “reflective account of practice”, focusing on one project or initiative they’ve led. This is followed by a panel discussion with the candidate, which is essentially a peer review of their written submissions plus a question at the end of the session on a current industry issue. The requirements for those who aren’t MCIOB are a little more testing – the written submissions must be longer and the panel discussion sessions will take at least an extra 30 minutes.