More women needed to address skills shortage

Anyone who took a glance around the room at last month’s Society of Chartered Surveyors annual dinner attended by more than 1,200 members will have noted the clear under-representation of women amid the sea of monkey suits.

Now the society seems to be taking it seriously with a new television advertising campaign launched this week aimed at encouraging more young people – women in particular – to enter the property and construction sector. It is anticipated the sector will grow 30 per cent in the next four years, but it’s acknowledged it will still be some time before any renewed interest in property- related college courses will feed through to the workplace.

With employers in the sector already reporting difficulty filling posts, the aim of the campaign is to address the emerging skills shortage by illustrating the range of roles available within the property, land and construction sectors.

According to SCSI president Pauline Daly: "Currently women make up 20per cent of our 5,000 members but we want to drive that figure up in the coming years and we hope the TV campaign, featuring as it does a number of successful young women will help us achieve that."

Patricia Power, known for her regular appearances as a surveyor on RTE's popular Room to Improve series, is one of several women in the TV ad. Claire Solon also features in her role as head of estates management at the ESB.