CISRS has appointed Kathryn Bowe as full-time Chair of its Quality Assurance Committee, months after the organisation was forced to restart recruitment for the role following the withdrawal of its previous appointee.
The appointment gives CISRS a permanent lead for one of the central pillars of its governance reforms, after the scheme said in December that an interim chair had been brought in to keep the committee’s work on track while a replacement was found.
CISRS announced Bowe’s appointment last week, describing it as a significant step in the continued development of the scheme’s governance and oversight framework. The Quality Assurance Committee plays a central role in maintaining the integrity and consistency of CISRS training and assessment standards in the UK and overseas.
Bowe brings more than 25 years of senior and executive-level HR leadership experience across sectors including hospitality, FMCG, health, financial services, housing and City & Guilds. CISRS said she has extensive experience working in regulated environments in both UK and global organisations.
Her appointment also appears to close a gap that had left an important part of the CISRS reform structure without a permanent chair at a sensitive time for the scheme. That is the clearest wider significance here. CISRS has recently been pushing major changes across governance, digital systems and training standards, including a review proposing phased reform of the Overseas Scaffolder Training Scheme through to 2028.
Kathryn Bowe said: “I am delighted to be taking on this role at such an important time for CISRS and the wider scaffolding and access sector.” She added that quality assurance was fundamental to the credibility of any training and competence scheme and said she looked forward to working with the committee and wider CISRS team to maintain and improve standards.
Clive Dickin, Group CEO of NASC and CISRS, said the creation of a full-time chair role reflected the organisation’s commitment to governance and to the integrity of the CISRS scheme. He said Bowe brought the focus and dedication the role required as CISRS continued to strengthen the scheme for the wider industry.
