GBR Phoenix Beard is bucking the trend by expanding its training programme and recruitment plans. Graduates and young people in particular are facing a tough employment market, with prospects for people entering the job market far more limited than a decade ago. The property consultancy, with offices in Birmingham and London has increased staff numbers by 10% year-on-year over the last two years, and within this made a number of appointments of younger professionals embarking on a career in surveying.
The firm supports several employees with their continuing studies, allowing them to combine professional studies with work and gain invaluable experience of working with clients. The company is warning of a missed generation of property professionals in the surveying sector as the opportunities for people entering the profession have been severely restricted over the last five years as the real estate sector has been so badly affected by the economic downturn.
Three of the team are working towards the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) APC (Assessment of Professional Competence) qualification to become Chartered Surveyors, two other members of staff are undertaking AAT training (Association for Accounting Technicians) and one is seeking to achieve the College of Estate Management (CEM) Diploma in Surveying Practice, which leads to Associate Membership of RICS. The firm’s HR team is now looking to widen the scope of the programme to incorporate NVQ training for staff in areas such as customer service and team leadership.
Talking about the company’s commitment to nurturing talent, Simon Farrant, Managing Director of GBR Phoenix Beard, said:
“I worry that as the economy picks up, the property sector will feel the effects of having restricted the intake of new surveyors entering the profession. We are a relatively small company employing around 150 people in total. The ongoing success of our business rests on bringing through a new generation of surveyors and property professionals. The firm’s commitment to offering opportunities for people at the beginning of their careers is an important part of our HR strategy. Seeing the numbers involved in training towards industry-recognised qualifications is gratifying. I joined GBR Phoenix Beard over 20 years ago as a relatively junior surveyor and have been supported by the company, so I understand how important it is to nurture and retain new talent.”
David Lloyd joined GBR Phoenix Beard in 2011 and is one of the beneficiaries of the GBR Phoenix Beard scheme, currently completing a distance learning diploma;
“I know from talking to my contemporaries how tough the job market is, and for me, being able to combine work and study in my spare time has been a really practical way of gaining a qualification to accompany my experience, whilst at the same time working full time, supported by my employer. We all understand the vision for the business and it’s great to be able to relate to how I fit into that picture, both now and in the longer term.”