Volunteer Hotseat
Chairing the CIPD West Yorkshire Branch and our activities I was appointed Chair just over three years ago and what I enjoy most is the team. It is their energy, inspiration and passion that drives our groups and lies at the heart of our vision for the Branch. We’ve brought on board some really experienced practitioners who are passionate about the work they do. Together, we’ve created Communities of Practice (or special interest groups) for members with similar interests. These include Communities for Employment Law, Coaching and Mentoring, Independent Consultants, Public Policy and Student Engagement. We are in the process of creating a Community for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and we are launching a new managed mentoring programme this autumn. For the first time our annual celebration recognised the achievements of students and practitioners alike, and this is something we intend to expand on in the future. The bonds that have developed since I joined the Branch feel almost unshakeable. Any credit for the successes we have is down to the team and the work they do in bringing ideas to fruition.
Jonathan Broadhurst: Parent returner mentor and Chair of the CIPD West Yorkshire Branch
a full-time stay-at-home dad to our son, aged four at the time, and daughter who had just turned one. It was an immensely rewarding time but also one of the loneliest. I would be the token dad at a mothers and toddlers group and no-one would talk to me. It went as far as one person admitting they would have come over but they didn’t want it to spark rumours of a clandestine relationship! That period of isolation really shook my confidence and I began to feel as if there would be no way back for me. I wouldn’t want anyone to feel like I did and so when the Parent Returner project caught my attention, I saw it as a real opportunity to support parents back into the workplace. The people I mentored were senior leaders returning to a new sector and, whilst they had the skills, they needed to build their self-confidence and have someone with a different perspective who believed in them. What I enjoy most about mentoring I have met some amazing people and their passion is so inspiring. I always learn something about myself from every mentoring relationship and the sense of satisfaction I get from seeing someone overcome their fears and achieve the success they have been striving for is hard to beat.
Life coach, Jonathan Broadhurst FCIPD is a mentor for the CIPD Steps Ahead parent returner programme which helps returners who have been out of work for one year, or more, secure a job at the same level, or higher, than the previous one they held. As Chair of the CIPD West Yorkshire Branch, he’s also dedicated to delivering a range of events and activities for local members – at all levels – to connect with their peers and support their professional development.
My journey from stay-at-home Dad to parent returner mentor After leaving school without any qualifications,
I found myself in retail management. What I loved most was
developing staff, so I took voluntary redundancy to begin my CIPD studies. My wife went back to work full- time to support us and I became
Find out more about the CIPD West Yorkshire Branch here .
REGIONAL INSIGHTS
Autumn 2022
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