There’s been some alarming titles in the press
for more than a decade now: “A global crisis of the surveying profession” (2008), “Surveyor skill shortage approaching critical level, warns RICS”
(2015), “Easier to employ a ballet dancer than a quantity surveyor” (2017)…

The latest CIOB-cross industry research report
published in January 2019 highlights that the issue is far from being solved,
with 42% of construction businesses reporting difficulties recruiting
quantity surveyors, both now and by anticipation, post-Brexit.

The RICS Construction and Infrastructure survey
of Q1
2019 also confirms that quantity surveying
is still the occupation with the greatest staff shortages, beyond trades,
bricklayers and other construction professionals, with 60% of companies
reporting skill shortages in the profession. 

Why are there shortages of quantity
surveyors?

The construction sector in general is
experiencing an ageing working population, with nearly 430,000
construction workers to retire between 2010
and 2020. More specifically, the quantity surveying profession experiences
difficulties attracting young students, due to the complexity of the role and
the lack of clarity on the definition of the profession.

While a problem not limited to the UK, the
uncertainties surrounding Brexit are enhancing this issue. As 26% of the UK construction workforce comes from the EU, the
deterioration of the sterling makes the country less attractive as a work
destination. Construction material costs inflation also leads to a greater need
for complex cost estimates (and great quality quantity surveyors!).

What are the solutions to address the
quantity surveyor crisis?

The government is looking at increasing the
attractiveness of the profession, promoting apprenticeships and easing the
barriers to immigration as different solutions to address this challenge. One
of the recommendations of the CIOB-cross industry research report is to include
the quantity surveyor profession to the future “Shortage Occupation List” of
the Migration Advisory Committee.

As a construction business owner, there are
three routes to explore to find quantity surveyors.

Take on apprentices

23,000 apprenticeships started in England in
Construction, Planning and the Built Environment in 2017/18. Taking on
apprentices can be a really great way to attract young professionals,
especially as quantity surveying apprenticeships are fairly quick to obtain –
from 2 years for a Surveying or Geospatial Survey Technician apprentice (Level
3) up to 5 years for a Chartered Surveyor Apprentice or Geospatial Mapping and
Sciences Apprentice (Level 6).

The latest apprenticeship data from the
Department of Education in January
2019 shows that only 9 people started an
apprenticeship as a Geospatial Survey Technician since 2015/16, 506 as
Surveying Technicians, and 1,892 as Chartered Surveyor Apprentices – there’s
still room for many more!

Look for temporary contractors

Rather than desperately trying to recruit
permanent quantity surveyors, recruiting contractors from temporary recruitment
agencies can be a way to avoid turning down projects. While this route is typically
more expensive than recruiting permanent members of staff, it can be a great
way to release the pressure and gain flexibility. It might also lead some
contractors to convert to permanent positions in the future.

Leverage technology

Becoming familiar with 3D modelling packages and
BIM (Building Information Modelling) software (e.g., Estimator360, HBXL,
PlanSwift, Clear Estimates…) to price projects can be another way to fix the
crisis. While the barrier to entry can be high in terms of cost, digital skills
required, and time required to select, implement and be trained on how to use
estimating software packages, it can also be a great way to make the profession
more attractive to younger generations too.

Whilst the crisis will not be solved overnight,
there are some solutions out there to explore to help you address this
challenge now.