Update from Justin Young, RICS CEO – March 2025

Recruiting surveyors is an ongoing cause of concern for many of our members. The skills shortage in our profession and the wider built environment is a barrier to project delivery, a key contributor to the housing crisis, and a threat to the everyday operations of countless firms. It’s imperative that we attract new talent to our profession.

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 is welcome. As part of our student campaign ‘Shape the world, build your future’ that aims to build awareness of the impact of surveying, we held focus groups with graduates. Findings support our strategies to raise awareness of surveying as a career option and challenge misconceptions about the nature and breadth of opportunities in surveying. Insight and data from the groups will help us to understand and respond to the barriers preventing graduates from pursuing a career in surveying, and the important factors driving young people’s career choices. 

Our recent collaboration with Minecraft is just one example of our outreach to pique interest in surveying – in this case, we introduced the profession to nine and 10-year-olds. Exposure to surveying as a profession from an early age will be key to attracting talent.

This work is already underway for both traditional university routes and other pathways.  Last month, British politicians referenced the value of surveying apprenticeships three times in the Houses of Parliament, thanks in no small part to our work to engage MPs during National Apprenticeship Week. Furthermore, MPs on the influential Environmental Audit Committee heard from RICS about our calls for the creation of an English built environment GCSE to inspire school students into the sector. Our message that we must embed built environment skills into curricula and career pathways is being heard, and we will continue to galvanise that interest into action and investment.

This was also a hot topic at MIPIM last week, where I championed action and investment into skills.  My schedule included debating the battle for talent and moderating a session about skills in our changing profession. Through surveying, we have the opportunity to improve the world around us. We must convey that message far and wide, and then, as leaders, we must galvanise our people to act together.

We also put the issues of sustainability and housing front and centre, with an RICS-hosted residential workshop, and multiple debates about decarbonisation. Among the highlights of the week was our members’ reception, where nearly 200 members gathered. Speeches from Acting President Nicholas Maclean FRICS, Chair of the European World Regional Board Susanne Eickermann-Riepe FRICS, and our French board chair Fabrice LEGER, all acknowledged that our profession is rapidly changing. We asked the question, ‘How can RICS and its members better serve and support the public right now and in the years to come?’

Meanwhile, as this essential, public-facing work takes place, we are also going through a period of significant change within RICS. We have now entered consultation stage of our reorganisation, evaluating our proposed new operating model in detail. A key consideration as we agree the model is that it must empower the regions across both the UK and our global network to deliver what our members need.

Finally, you will have received an email in the last few weeks from our Senior Independent Governor, Liz Peace CBE, confirming the appointment of President Elect Nick Maclean OBE RD FRICS as Acting Chair of the Governing Council and Acting President. Justin Sullivan FRICS has agreed to step aside while the relevant regulatory processes take place.

Nick will carry out the presidential duties and continue our work to increase skills in surveying, address the challenge of creating affordable housing, and raise the influence of the profession.