OUR built and natural environments play a key role in fostering a sense of pride, protecting our heritage, and providing world-class infrastructure that our economy and society needs.
The built environment has a central part to play in driving economic growth and has a key role in shaping and influencing so much more, including the future of our young people, the climate, and perceptions of this place internationally.
The construction industry continues to face a challenging time with rising material costs, higher interest rates and ongoing skills shortages, impacting on the development and maintenance of the built environment.
The results from the latest Rics Construction Monitor indicate that workloads remained in decline, as has been the case for over a year.
Although all sub-sectors faced a fall in activity, public sector work and infrastructure saw the sharpest decline, a possible side effect caused by the lack of functioning government to make decisions and deliver the projects that our communities need.
The survey also indicated that skills shortages remain persistent, although the results are less severe than previously, which is accompanying the flatter trend in activity.
We hear time and again how the skills of chartered surveyors are central to so many critical aspects of our lives in Northern Ireland including creating our infrastructure, building the homes that we need to live in, and addressing climate change.
Inspiring the next generation of construction professionals is critical for the industry and the economy. We need more talented young surveyors coming through in the industry will help Northern Ireland deal with its infrastructure deficit, its housing shortage, and its need to be more sustainable.
Rics is therefore taking the opportunity to reiterate its call to our political parties in Northern Ireland to prioritise bringing about positive change in the built and natural environment to support all of this.
A skilled workforce is vital to moving forward and alleviating some of the pressures that the construction industry is facing, so we very much need a working NI Executive to support more training schemes to attract and retain more construction professionals in Northern Ireland.
In my role as chair, I will continue to echo Rics’ calls for a government to support more apprenticeships and to work with industry to deliver training which will close the close the skills gap.
At the Rics annual conference taking place next month, we’ll continue to discuss these key issues, as well as focusing on sustainability and climate change, all whilst advocating for the importance of the built environment.
As regional chair my intention over the next year is to positively influence the direction of the Rics, whilst helping deliver positive, sustainable change in the built and natural environment. I’m particularly invested in promoting the profession, especially for the next generation of surveyors.
:: Martin Doherty is Northern Ireland regional chair at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), which promotes and enforces the highest professional qualifications and standards in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure
