Industry Articles

For more than 100 years, the Institute of Quarrying (IQ) has supported the professional development of people working within the mineral products and quarrying industries.

Getting the Most Out of IQ Membership

The Institute of Quarrying (IQ) has over 2,800 UK members, representing all aspects of the minerals extractive and quarrying industries from health and safety to geology, explosives and sustainability.

In the UK there are hundreds of professional membership bodies covering areas of work including finance, engineering, construction, health, law, journalism, personnel and management. These professional organisations are normally an association or institute, which people with the appropriate background, experience or qualifications can join. What can you gain by joining such a body? Is it worth the money? Will it help your job search?

The Institute of Quarrying (IQ) has supported the professional development of people working within the mineral products sector for more than 100 years. Lifelong learning is at the heart of IQ, which is why, like many professional organisations, it encourages members to actively participate in continuing professional development (CPD).

Last month Martin Riley, senior vice-president of Tarmac, became new President of the Institute of Quarrying (IQ), succeeding his predecessor Phil Redmond. In a recent Zoom interview with QM, he spoke about a global vision for IQ, the key priorities for the professional body and the challenges facing the minerals extractives sector in the post-pandemic world.

One of the many benefits of being an IQ member is access to advice, best practice and industry resources. These resources exist in different formats and include everything from textbooks to factsheets, videos to webinars through to industry articles and case studies.

Leadership. There are many discussions and activities across the quarrying and mineral extractives sectors around the term, but what does it actually mean? And how is it best to deliver it within an organisation? There is no single right answer for showing leadership but a constant theme in all cases is the need for those in leadership positions to lead by example.

When Adrian Wilkinson and Adrian Charters, the directors of Land and Minerals Consulting Ltd (LMCL), took the decision to attend the Institute of Quarrying’s (IQ) Centenary Conference last year, little did they realise that within six months their business would be one of the lead adopters of IQ’s Centennial Pledge.

Just over a year into his tenure, the Institute of Quarrying’s (IQ) chief executive officer is using the industry’s premiere biannual showcasing event, Hillhead 2018, as a platform from which to share his vision for IQ and what it should be delivering for its members and the wider industry.

In today’s fast moving digital age of social networks, email, video conferencing and mobile phones, it’s often easier to Tweet, message or Skype than it is to make time for face-to-face meetings or attend events. But feedback from members of the Institute of Quarrying (IQ) point out the important role that IQ’s branch meetings play in connecting people working in the mineral extractives and quarrying sector.