Volunteer Hotseat: Scott Smith, Co-chair of the CIPD branch in North East of England CIPD members rate their access to a local CIPD branch in their top three membership benefits. The CIPD branch in North East of England runs a member-to-member mentoring programme, along with special interest groups for L&OD and ED&I specialisms. Co-chair, Scott Smith FCIPD of People Spark Solutions tells us more about the branch – including plans for 2024 - and the best career advice he’s ever received. What do you enjoy most about co-chairing the branch and what are you most proud of? I am honored and privileged to work with amazing volunteers who really care about the people profession. I am so proud of our work to evolve the branch over recent years with new ways to engage our members and potential members. My goal as co-chair is to share our great work. We did this at the CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition (ACE), where we took part in the Careers Hub and at CIPD Council, where we chaired a session about our branch transition.
We are also working more closely with our Tees Valley branch neighbors and colleagues at CIPD in Northern England. I truly believe we are better when we are connected and collaborating. Can you tell us about some of the branch’s most popular activities? Our branch is thriving, with many volunteers who have been with us for years. We have listened to our members and have offered more focused events and activities to support the ever-changing world of work. These activities are proving popular, including our member-to-member mentoring scheme, which runs twice yearly, and our special interest groups for ED&I and L&OD. Our student panel events are also always very popular to showcase career pathways. What does the North Each branch have planned for 2024? We are hosting our first Knowledge Exchange event with local academics and practitioners. This will be the first of its kind, sharing current thinking with current practice. We will also continue to share and collaborate more with our CIPD branch neighbors in Tees Valley and work closely with our colleagues at CIPD in Northern England to create synergies for local events and champion our collective work for creating better work and working lives.
Branch Chairs, Scott Smith FCIPD and Victoria Bullerwell FCIPD.
What’s the best career advice you have ever received? The best career advice I have ever received was to surround myself with the right people. From early in my career, to the present day, I have always been curious about business and how people behave and perform. Over the years I have always surrounded myself with people who challenge my thinking, champion my work, and support me when things go well and when things are challenging. The advice I would give to others starting in their career is to surround yourself with people who are positive and care about their work. Actively seek out mentors too, who can help guide you in your career.
Find out more about the CIPD branch in North East of England here .
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REGIONAL INSIGHTS
Spring 2024
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