Presidents Blog

I want to start my column this month by taking a moment to remember one of my predecessors as President of the Institute. Many of you will know that Anthony Morgan sadly passed away last month.

Writing this month's column coincided with National Apprenticeship Week. The annual campaign celebrates apprentices and the value of an apprenticeship as a foundation for future success.

As we begin the New Year, there is a sense of Groundhog Day for many of us. We are grappling with uncertainties surrounding the latest Covid variant, the disruption it is causing and how it may affect us in the coming months.

November marks several significant events both globally and for the IQ, reflecting the challenges we are facing as a society and highlighting some of the actions we are taking as an industry to drive better outcomes for the future.

Over the last few months this column has highlighted the importance of our sector supporting the wider society. There are many challenges and opportunities, driven by technology and the sustainability agenda, that we face but few outside of our industry recognise the contribution that our sector can make. Through our engagement with stakeholders across a range of sectors, there is often a preconceived idea of our industry and profession, which frequently is at odds with reality.

Over the last few weeks you may have seen the announcement regarding the merger of the Institute of Quarrying with the National Stone Centre (NSC) at Wirksworth in Derbyshire. We have set out our vision and purpose for the project and our aspirations for the future in our communications to members.

At the time of writing, we are at the point in the year where we are beginning to see the signs of spring with warmer and brighter weather on its way. It also marks the one-year anniversary since the full impact of the pandemic first hit us all. Whilst there is still some way to go, for most of us there is now a sense of real hope for a pathway out of the pandemic.

Undoubtedly, 2020 will be a year that we all remember as we address the challenges presented by the pandemic. It continues to have an impact on our health, wellbeing and economy.

It gives me great pleasure to be writing my first Presidents column for our magazine as our industry is one I am incredibly proud of. As members of the Institute, our industry and our profession are critical in supporting our country, our economy and our communities.

As we progress through the year, we are all finding our ‘new normal’ both personally and professionally. From a global perspective we can see how Covid-19 has been moving through different countries: from the initial spread of the virus to containment and reduction of cases; through to, sadly, increased peaks and further surges of infection.