The built environment professions—construction, real estate, and land—are at the heart of solving some of the biggest challenges of our time. The “future of jobs 2025” insight report of the World Economic Forum (WEF) has identified technological change, geoeconomics fragmentation, economic uncertainty, demographic shifts and the green transition as the main drivers expected to shape and transform the global labour market by 2030.
All these drivers have an impact on skills required for the world of tomorrow. Understanding and closing the skills gap within the construction, real estate and land sectors is a priority for the RICS. This includes:
- Attracting the next generation to the world of RICS, to the world of surveying.
- Ensuring current professionals have the right skills, now and tomorrow.
- Re-skilling those that want to enter the profession later in their careers.
The WEF report further states that about 40% of skills currently relevant will either be transformed or outdated by 2030. Skills that are likely to be most sought after are analytical thinking, technology-related skills (AI, big data) as well as creative thinking, flexibility, resilience, along with curiosity and lifelong learning.
We are in the process of making it more straightforward (not easier!) to become a chartered surveyor; making the profession more accessible to a greater number of people. We’re casting our net far and wide to find individuals from all backgrounds who may be interested in pursuing a career in surveying. Any individual with the aptitude and appetite to join the profession will benefit from becoming a member of RICS. We are undertaking a global survey to understand what we need to do to make the surveying profession attractive for the next generation. This starts with the very young, including initiatives like our recent Minecraft collaboration for children aged nine and 10.
We have our numerous undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the UK and we are supporting Level 3 and 6 apprenticeships. Last month, British politicians referenced the value of surveying apprenticeships three times in the Houses of Parliament, thanks to our work to engage MPs during National Apprenticeship Week.
In the coming months, we are hosting a roundtable for industry followed by a Spotlight event in collaboration with BE News. Our message that we must inspire a wider demographic to join our profession is being heard, and we will continue to galvanise that interest into action and investment.
RICS is engaging with members, firms, universities, students, and other stakeholders worldwide to address this challenge head-on. Some of the questions we are collectively finding answers to are:
- How do we make careers in the built environment more attractive to young people? What are their misconceptions about and key barriers preventing careers in construction, real estate and land? How can these be overcome?
- What role do firms, educators, and professional bodies like RICS need to play in addressing the skills shortage?
- How can we promote diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure the sector benefits from a broad range of talent? How can we showcase role models and success stories to inspire the next generation?
- What skills will be essential for the future, and how can we better prepare students and early-career professionals for them?
- How can we enhance collaboration between industry and education providers to ensure training aligns with real-world needs? How can professional bodies like RICS evolve to better support students and early-career professionals?
- What initiatives or best practices are successfully attracting and retaining young talent, and how can these be scaled globally?
This is not a challenge that any one organisation can solve alone. It requires collective action, innovation, and a willingness to think differently about how we engage with young people and current professionals. By working together, we can shape a more sustainable and thriving future for our industry.
We look forward to collaborating to secure the next generation of built environment professionals, as well as making sure current generations continue to have the right skills. If you have ideas or experiences to share, I encourage you to join the discussion. Together, we can build a stronger, more diverse, and future-ready profession.
