CBRE, the global commercial real estate services firm, today announced it has launched a UK apprenticeship scheme, the first of its kind in the property sector, which will offer a route into an industry that has traditionally only recruited university graduates.
The scheme will initially offer 10 young people a life changing opportunity to study and work towards becoming a fully qualified chartered surveyor.
CBRE will be working with the Chartered Surveyors Training Trust (CSTT), on a nationwide search to help identify candidates for the programme.
Ciaran Bird, UK Managing Director, CBRE, said: “I started in the industry at 16, and I’m very passionate about offering young people the kind of opportunities that I have had. We are always looking to attract talented people into CBRE and this apprenticeship programme will provide an alternative route into our profession to aspiring, career-orientated individuals, irrespective of their background.
“We also hope that this scheme will bring further diversity to our industry and that we can lead the way in opening up career opportunities within the property sector by offering a unique chance to learn and develop skills in a global firm.”
Boris Johnson, The Mayor of London, said: “Apprenticeships are vital to help young people gain the skills and training they need to prosper in a career and to play an important role in boosting economic growth. It’s wonderful news that CBRE has committed to a scheme which will open up opportunities to a career in the property sector, an industry in which London leads the world. This is a commitment to create and invest in the next generation.”
Christina Hirst, Chief Executive, CSTT, said: “We are really excited to be working with CBRE to offer this unique opportunity for young people with a passion for real estate to ‘earn and learn’ with a leading commercial property advisor. The partnership will provide a great support framework for school leavers to enter a profession that offers stimulation, challenges and real career progression.
“It is important that businesses continue to invest in the next generation of employees, particularly in these difficult economic times and it is great to see CBRE making this investment. Through offering these apprenticeships we can ensure that the company has the skills needed to meet future demands and address current skills gaps and at the same time provide once in a lifetime opportunities for deserving young people.”
The CBRE apprenticeship scheme is a six year programme, which will combine learning on the job and formal training to gain a professional chartered surveyor qualification. Successful applicants will start in September and will study for an NVQ and BTEC in surveying. During this time they will gain detailed knowledge of the property market, and achieve a professional qualification. On completion of the first two years, CBRE will sponsor the apprentices on an undergraduate course for a further three years, where they will attend university one day a week and study for a BSc in Real Estate. This will enable the apprentices to take the APC in their final year and ultimately become a fully qualified chartered surveyor and a member of the RICS, the world’s leading professional body for qualifications and standards in land, property and construction.
The apprenticeship scheme will run alongside CBRE’s well-established graduate scheme. The successful apprentices will be mentored throughout their programme by CBRE’s past and present graduates.
CBRE is also involved with the Pathways to Property programme, which was launched by the Reading Real Estate Foundation last November. The programme organises visits to school children across the UK, particularly those from challenging socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, to help promote diversity and educate pupils about the role of the surveyor so they later consider attending university and choosing property as a career.
The Centre for Economics and Business Research recently released a forecast that apprenticeships completed over the next decade could contribute to productivity gains worth up to £3.4 billion a year to the economy by 2022.