As thousands of young people consider their next steps after GCSE results day, Adella Brown, our Early Careers Manager, explains why the property sector needs to engage young people earlier, show the breadth of careers available and make the different routes into the profession easier to understand.
GCSE results day is one of the first points at which future careers can start to influence decisions about what to study next. For the property sector, it should also expose a persistent problem: too many young people still have a limited idea of what a career in the industry actually involves.
Ask someone outside the sector what working in property means and estate agency or housebuilding will usually be among the first answers. Both are important parts of the industry, but they represent only a fraction of the work being done across property, land and the built environment.
Surveyors, planners and consultants are involved in major infrastructure and energy schemes, rural estates, commercial property, development and the management of land and buildings. They advise landowners, businesses, occupiers and investors, and help work through decisions that can shape places and communities for years to come.
Yet much of that work is largely invisible to people who have not already encountered the profession.
That is where the recruitment challenge lies. If young people do not know these roles exist, we cannot expect them to consider exploring a career in the property sector.
The breadth of the property sector is one of its strongest attractions, but this will only be an option if the industry can explain that breadth in a way that feels relevant and accessible to someone deciding what to do next.
In my role at Fisher German, I see how different disciplines come together on the same client or project. Rural, infrastructure, planning, commercial and development teams may all bring a different perspective to a piece of work. For someone at the start of their career, that exposure is invaluable because it shows that ‘property’ is not just one job or a specific route, but a profession with many possible directions.
At 16, nobody needs to have their career mapped out, but understanding the routes that could be open to them can help make those next choices more informed. The routes into the sector are changing too. University followed by a graduate role remains an important path, but it is no longer the only one young people are seriously considering.
Apprenticeships offer the opportunity to keep learning while gaining practical experience and earning a salary, which can make the profession accessible to people who may not see a traditional full-time university route as the right fit.