Aims to sharpen the construction sector’s focus and ‘Make Space for Education’.

Alison Watson MBE, founder and CEO of Class Of Your Own (COYO), was appointed at the annual general meeting of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES) on 18 September.

COYO is a social enterprise and specialist education consultancy, which developed the ‘Design Engineer Construct!’ (DEC) learning programme, a curriculum subject in its own right, taught by dedicated high school teachers.

DEC has enabled thousands of young people to discover the built environment, with many progressing into successful careers and inspiring younger peers to follow their example.

Alison was awarded an MBE in 2018, in recognition of her services to education and elected as an Honorary Fellow of CICES in 2019.

Her presidential term is themed ‘Make Space for Education’, with the ambition of building on the collaborative spirit established by her predecessor, Batsetswe Motsumi.

Make space for education

Alison outlined the motivation behind her stated aim for the presidency, saying:

‘As surveyors, we witness the ever-changing landscape of our world – but one thing remains constant: the need to pass on our knowledge.

‘Time spent in education is brief but our influence can be unlimited, as I’ve seen in my everyday work in schools – and our support has never been more important.

‘My presidential theme ‘Make Space for Education’ is a call-to-action to our industry to ensure we don’t allow our expertise to fade.

‘We must actively engage with and inspire the next generation with the same care and attention we’d give our own children, so the vital role of surveyors in shaping the future of our planet and its people continues.

‘I’m excited about the year to come and hope we’ll join together with one common goal – not just across the institution but throughout our industry – to shine the brightest of lights on our extraordinary world – the built and natural environment.’