Breakthrough for the QS Profession
HONG KONG, Sept. 21 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The Chartered Quantity Surveying (QS) profession is now on the UK National Shortage Occupation List following a concentrated campaign by RICS. The UK Home Office's Border and Immigration Agency confirmed the decision to the property profession, which shows the Government is taking seriously the issue of skills shortages in the construction industry.
According to Mr. Michael Sullivan, RICS spokesperson, "There is widespread recognition of a chronic shortage of Quantity Surveyors in UK. Firms have been struggling to recruit experienced UK based and overseas QSs for some time. Some large firms have had up to 60 vacancies each. Hopefully, with easier access to the pool of foreign, professionally qualified QSs, concerns about meeting the anticipated increase in construction work in the UK will shrink.
RICS research revealed there were around 6,500 QS vacancies across the UK in January 2007. 49% of these were unfilled for more than six months and 35% for more than 12 months.
Mr. David K W TSE, Chairman of RICS (HK), said, "Demand for QS is genuinely high in nearly all developing or developed countries as they are Chartered Surveyors with special expertise in cost management, contract management and project management relating to both building and civil engineering contracts and thus they are required throughout the development process of both building and infra-structural projects. It is quite a common trend for locally trained and qualified QSs to take overseas assignments and career opportunities and I am sure all QSs in Hong Kong will be delighted to hear about this news."
It takes an average of 6.2 years to become a Chartered Quantity Surveyor. Following the success of the campaign, RICS plans to look at the extent of shortages of skilled staff in areas such as project management and building surveying.
Border and Immigration Agency announcement: http://www.workingintheuk.gov.uk/working_in_the_uk/en/homepage/news/announcements/Chartered%20quantity%20surveyor.html
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Media enquiry, please contact:
RICS Asia Pacific Public Relations Representative
Ms Belinda Chan / Ms Katherine Chow
Tel: +852-2372-0090
Fax: +852-2372-0490
Mobile: +852-9379-3045 / +852-9256-3223
Email: belinda@creativegp.com / kat@creativegp.com
