Inspiring young people into surveying in Wales: a critical but rewarding endeavour

For Sian Cornwell-Shaw MRICS, a senior property surveyor at NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership- Specialist Estates Services (NWSSP -SES), surveying is a vocation, and a career choice that she believes more people should be aware of. Sian herself credits friends and family with directing her towards surveying after she completed a degree in sociology.

“I was lucky to have a personal contact who steered me in the right direction,” says Sian. “What I understand now, is that this is really the only way that young people come to find this career. Knowledge of surveying as a profession - and understanding of the vast opportunities it represents for a fulfilling career - is incredibly low in Wales.”

At that time, no university in Wales offered a real estate accredited course, a key factor in the lack of understanding about surveying and the challenge of nurturing home grown talent. Sian completed a correspondence post graduate diploma in General Practice Commercial Surveying at the College of Estate Management in Reading University. The process sparked Sian’s passion for raising awareness of the profession later in her career.

The talent gap in Wales

“I now have a longstanding role in the NHS Specialist Estates Services team, which I love. A pressing issue, however, is that our team is aging and employing young talent is very difficult. There simply isn’t a reliable pipeline of young people coming through.

“A couple of years ago I decided that this was a clear impetus for me to act. On the one hand I wanted to ensure the longevity of my team and protect the important work we do for the NHS. On the other, I felt that young people should have the opportunity to enter into a profession that I love.”

Becoming an RICS STEM Inspire Ambassador

“I proactively reached out to RICS to help me inspire young people in Wales, hoping to speak at schools and represent the profession at careers fairs. I was directed towards the Inspire programme, which I’d never heard of. I don’t think many surveyors  have.

“I discovered that there was a small handful of likeminded surveyors in Wales, all willing to dedicatetheir time to help close the talent gap and set up a Welsh RICS STEM Inspire ambassador forum to work together. Quite quickly I built strong relationships with organisations like Careers Wales, as well as University of South Wales and Cardiff University, schools and colleges across Wales.”

Reaching students at University of South Wales

Positive change has taken place in Wales since the early days of Sian’s career. The University of South Wales now offers RICS-accredited BSc (Hons) degrees in Real Estate, Building Surveying and Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management, and in 2024 the WJEC introduced a Built Environment GCSE in Wales which has since changed to a VCSE and an A/AS level in Built Environment

“Those students studying this subject need to be aware of surveying as a profession,” says Sian. “We target them directly. I’ve now delivered multiple sessions at schools and colleges undertaking them to help raise awareness of surveying and entice those students to take up degree courses in Welsh universities that offer them – University of South Wales and Cardiff University.”

In 2025, Sian delivered a taster day at University of South Wales and welcomed over 200 pupils to its Treforest campus to learn all about the varying specialisms of surveying. “We opened the doors to pre and post 16 students, with course leaders discussing the options for embarking on a journey into surveying.

“This year we finessed the format and invited only students on the A/As level Built Environment qualification, making it easier to manage ability levels. It also meant that our energy was directed towards people who had already taken a step towards a potential career in our industry.

“I delivered interactive activities, like challenging students to measure a room using only their own bodies for scale and value the space, and we showcased drones for students to get to grips with and the students also built a virtual sustainable town. We secured Amazon vouchers as prizes for students who did well in the challenges. It’s fantastic to see students engage with the topics we discussed, and I get huge satisfaction from knowing I’ve inspired young people.”

Sian organised these events herself through her role as a RICS STEM  Inpire Ambassador, with some support from RICS’ regional engagement manager Graham Craven, and fellow Inspire ambassadors and Welsh Board member Helen Edwards MRICS, and Alex Jones, RICS Matrics South Wales Vice Chair. In June, a further event will be delivered for students under 16.

Wider engagement with young people

Those wishing to join the RICS STEM Inspire Ambassador programme in Wales need not feel overwhelmed by the scale of the challenge. “This role can really be exactly what you make it,” says Sian. “I delivered a session for my daughter’s school class. Working with Year 2 children is quite different to working with 16-year olds, but it was great fun. I challenged the students to build a house out of recycled materials. Their enthusiasm and creativity was fantastic, and I’m very proud to have opened the minds of such young students to surveying.”

Mentoring

Being a RICS STEM Inspire Ambassador has also opened up the opportunity for Sian to mentor two students. Both are studying the Real Estate degree at University of South Wales (USW) and work with Sian in the NHS through the unique Network 75 earn and learn scheme. “This is a fantastic option for those joining the profession. Students gain five years’ work experience alongside their academic degree, debt free.

“Both of my mentees are female, which helps us to represent some of the diversity we hope to improve in surveying.  They are happy to speak to their peers and can bring a different perspective to events. It’s also a privilege to support them in their careers and watch them thrive.”

Becoming a RICS STEM Inspire Ambassador in Wales

“RICS needs more Inspire Ambassadors to get out there and talk about what we do as surveyors,” encourages Sian. “Your role could be taking a stand at a careers fair, doing talks in schools, colleges, or universities. If all surveyors did one talk each year, maybe at their own high school, we’d hugely increase our reach and the pipeline of surveying talent in Wales.

“If you do decide to take up a role as an ambassador, you’ll be fully supported. We can provide a buddy system, so that surveyors who would prefer to carry out engagement alongside another RICS member can do so.

“I’d recommend it to anyone. For the sake of our surveying in Wales, we must recruit new professionals. What’s more, this work counts towards your CPD requirements, and in larger firms it can form a major part of your ESG responsibilities. Most importantly, though, getting involved in education and engaging with you people is incredibly rewarding. It’s an entirely different element of my job, and I love it. As well as imparting knowledge, I’ve gained a great deal myself. I feel I have a strong understanding of how young people think and how to support them. I’m also very proud of what I’ve achieved in this role, and the difference it will make to our profession.”

Find out more about becoming a RICS STEM Inspire Ambassador, and get in touch, here: https://www.rics.org/get-involved/support-future-surveyors/inspire-future-surveyors