Contractors back geospatial apprentice drive

A group of leading UK contractors has pledged to support the next generation of surveying professionals by committing to recruit geospatial apprentices this September.

The initiative is being led by the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES) through its new Education Panel, chaired by current president Alison Watson MBE. The panel was formed to address the growing skills shortage and improve recruitment across surveying and geospatial engineering.

Companies including Balfour Beatty, Strabag, and Murphy Geospatial are among those who have already committed to taking on at least one apprentice in the 2025 intake. The move is intended to give colleges and training providers the confidence to run specialist courses in areas like the Midlands, North West and London, without the risk of cancellation due to low student numbers.

Watson said: “We can’t continue to complain about the worsening skills situation, the lack of respect or poor perceptions – it’s down to us to take action and stand up for surveying.”

The move is particularly relevant to the concrete construction sector, where accurate geospatial data underpins everything from foundations to formwork. Many of the contractors involved in the drive operate across infrastructure and building projects where concrete plays a central role.

CICES represents professionals working in both geospatial engineering and commercial management. Its members work across a wide range of sectors, including land and engineering surveying, utilities and mapping, cost engineering, and procurement – all essential to the planning and delivery of concrete construction.

The list of organisations supporting the apprentice drive includes Paragon Surveys, Geoterra, Malcolm Hughes Land Surveyors, PBH Rail, Global Surveys and others.

The first intake of apprentices is expected to start in September 2025.