Australia: Attraction, retention and upskilling vital for surveying professions

• Twenty-two percent of Australian chartered surveyors now believe that skills shortages are having a critical impact on their ability to take on new work.
• The challenge is twofold: attracting new talent to the surveying professions and then finding sufficient time and resource to retain, nurture and upskill existing talent.
• More needs to be done to promote how attractive chartered surveyor roles are across all the various professional pathways, including quantity surveying, project management, infrastructure and building (control) surveying. 
   

RICS has released the Surveying skills report 2026 in response to global skills shortages and the challenges a rapidly changing world present to the surveying profession in Australia and around the world.

Twenty-two percent of Australian surveying respondents now believe that skills shortages are having a critical impact, which is severely impacting their ability to take on new work, with a further 40% advising that it is presenting a moderate challenge for their businesses.

The most effected surveying sector pathways cited by Australian surveying respondents include quantity surveying, construction project management, infrastructure, valuation, planning and development, facilities management and building control. Key drivers for shortages have been reported at mid-career and experienced professional levels as well as early-career professionals/new entrants. Retention challenges have also been flagged.

The top implications of shortages were reported as reduced capacity to meet demand for services and limited time and resource to train or upskill existing staff. Importantly, there was a strong response from respondents that skills shortages are limiting the profession's ability to innovate or transform.

Key reasons cited as to why surveying across the various and varied pathways should be considered an attractive career option were listed as:

• the chance to work on interesting, impactful projects
• good career prospects, job stability and progression
• variety of work and roles available
• attractive salary or earning potential and
• international work opportunities.
   

Interestingly, 54% of Australian respondents identified data analytics, digital tools and advanced technologies as important areas for skills development, followed by 50% identifying critical thinking and learning agility and 44% confirming communication, collaboration and stakeholder management. Risk management, assurance and mitigation was also identified as a key attribute for surveyors of all types. 

The report has also highlighted how surveyors are adapting to a rapidly changing environment as a result of a range of factors, including but not limited to the rise of artificial intelligence, geopolitical uncertainty and increasing costs, by embracing new skills while at the same time maintaining professional ethics and expertise and a strong commitment to professional judgement. 

A copy of the full global report can be found here.