Let’s be honest, at 15 did you really know what a Quantity Surveyor did? Actually, had you ever even heard the words Quantity and surveyor used together at the age of 15. The answer is probably not. And to confirm that theory, take a look at our analytics over the last 2 years. Over 200 thousand views and none of the views have come from the age bracket of 13-17 year olds. Yes, you heard that right. Zero, zilch, nada.
So, is that all about to change? Is the government proposing a GCSE in Quantity Surveying for all high school students in the UK?
According to parliament “There is limited engagement with skills related to housebuilding in school curricula; more can be done to promote careers in the built environment at an earlier age. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors popularly known as RICS has called for construction and the built environment to be a focus of investment for future GCSE qualifications.
Wales introduced a Built Environment GCSE in September 2021. In England a vocational Level 1/2 qualification, ‘Constructing the built environment’, is available for those seeking to pursue a practical course at ages 14 to 16.” But it looks like more will be done. This is a direct solution to getting more people in the construction industry. In the same article published by the UK Government, they identify the roles with the most severe shortages, with Quantity Surveyors being amongst the names.
Since this announcement, there have been calls saying that GCSE age is too late to capture young peoples’ interest. Its been said that the Government should ensure wider and earlier engagement with built environment sectors across the curriculum, by introducing modules before and at GCSE level. Now although this would be preferable, introducing a construction GCSE is a start and to give you a better understanding of what will be taught, we have itemised the subject content for the Built Environment GCSE currently taught in Wales.
Unit 1
· The sector
· The built environment life cycle
· Types of building and structure
· Tools, technologies and materials
· Building structures and forms
· Sustainable construction methods
· Trades, employment and careers. This is where Quantity Surveying will be discussed
· Health and safety
Unit 2
· Designing the built environment
· Constructing the built environment
And finally, unit 3
· Planning and design stages of buildings and structures
· Construction processes
· Wellbeing of communities
· Post-occupancy evaluations
· Building maintenance and repair
· Change of use
· Changing practices
Hopefully, introducing this GCSE will at least make teenagers aware of the possibilities within the construction industry and more importantly, get us a few views on from that age demographic range. I’m joking of course. But to answer the original question, is the UK proposing a GCSE in Quantity Surveying? No, not specifically Quantity Surveying. But, our profession will be discussed in the classroom which will hopefully inspire kids to consider Quantity Surveying. If you are one of those people, we’d love to hear from you in our comments below.
Why not check out our video on this subject?
