Employers crying out for new recruits are increasingly opting for non-cognate graduates. QS News went to London South Bank University to find out who is electing to take the post-graduate route and why, and we examine the benefits and pitfalls for companies welcoming non-cognates through their doors.
Charles Djabatey and his wife founded a hospital called Charles & Joyce Medicare in Accra, Ghana, 14 years ago. The 49-year-old has around 20 years experience as a civil engineer and an MBA in international management, which he studied for in Versailles. But right now he's in London because he wants to become a QS.
Djabatey is a member of the new band of non-cognates entering the industry and is one of five students we spoke to taking an MSc in quantity surveying at London South Bank University.
QS conversion courses are gaining popularity and it has become the norm for big players such as Gleeds, Cyril Sweett and Gardiner & Theobald to recruit from outside non-traditional channels. At London South Bank University record numbers applying for its MSc quantity surveying course over the last few years forced it to actually close its doors to certain applicants. Steve Pearson, the MSc quantity surveying course director, says: "It's a case of getting onto our waiting list now and we don't have to market it anymore."
I believe the course will make me a more rounded person in the construction industry
Charles Djabatey
UCE Birmingham has seen numbers in its MSc construction course (where students can specialise in QSing) double from 12 in the last academic year to 24 for this year. Meanwhile recruitment company Hays has seen a one third increase in the number of non-cognates entering the industry over the last two years, a trend it expects to continue due to the decreasing number of graduates with a QS degree.
In the north of England, Brian Greenhalgh, head of construction studies at Liverpool John Moores University, says: "There is an increasing number of students on post-graduate conversion courses, mainly fuelled by the increase in construction workload in the region and the flexibility that a non-cognate offers. Current students on our MSc construction project management course have proved excellent and it has improved our relationship with the employers."
I guess with the market the way it is you can pick up the roles you want quite easily
Anwen Davies
Converting your degree might, on the face of it, look simple, just a case of deciding between one year full-time or two years part-time. In reality it is an intense process involving vast amounts to learn in a short period and little spare time.
So what is it that made our students leap into this lifestyle? Their motives vary. One has a relative in the business, another has a general interest in property renovation. Yet another offers a theory that A-level students have a stereotypical image of muddy sites and wolf whistling clouding their minds, only to realise later that reality doesn't match up, and QSing is their ideal job. Otherwise the decision might follow a construction-related degree, such as civil engineering.
Before this I was a pub landlord for three years, but got
fed up throwing people out of the doorBen Hayek
Backgrounds
The MSc quantity surveying course at LSBU has certainly attracted a mixed crowd. Our students' first-time degrees include statisitcs, history and law. Pearson recalls a more bizarre case: "We had one student who finished his MSc in QSing last year. His original degree was maths, he was a fireman for 15 years and then he came to us for a year. He's now with Davis Langdon."
If I'm walking around a site people are helpful. It's not like they're wolf-whistling or anything
Kate Collinson
Hays on the other hand says the non-cognates on its books mostly come from an arts background, due to the majority of arts degrees being more generic, and several are from Oxbridge.
It is this variety than can work both for and against the non-cognate. In one case having an extra set of skills impressed the employer. Sophia Spanton, an assistant PM at Turner & Townsend, originally took media studies. She's now in her second year of a part-time MA in property development and construction at Nottingham Trent University. "I thought my (media studies) degree would be a waste of time, but it teaches you communication and the act of conveying details which is so important in this job. The degree has also given me a lot of confidence when I'm dealing with groups or making presentations," she says.
It’s true that architects don't live in the real world... getting them to go to the pub is never an issue
Filipe Cardeira
However, Gleeds partner Stuart Earl, who sits on the RICS' London regional board and is a non-cognate himself, has reservations about the increasing numbers of non-cognates entering the industry. "It's great that we are attracting bright young things to the profession. I have no problem with that," he says. But he warns: "They are not getting an awful lot of classroom time. It increases the burden on employers."
He adds that a large chunk of employers are unlikely to be able to finance or support a non-cognate. "It favours the big firms. For about 65% of the RICS membership, which are smaller or medium-sized businesses, they cannot afford to offer the extra training. It's down to scales of economy." Earl says that there is a danger of the profession "lurching from one extreme to another" by relying too heavily on non-cognates. "If we are not careful we will get educated generalists in the profession rather than people who know the basics."
I've always liked construction, but not the actual building side
Lisa Almquist
But at UCE Birmingham smaller firms, mostly contractors, are getting involved. Tony Kelley, the university's director of marketing and recruitment for the school of property, construction and planning, says: "The fees here are expensive (£8,000), but it's spread over two years, includes all of the learning materials, books and so on, plus it includes residential weekends plus a trip to either South Africa or the US."
APC shortcut?
Some students say the main benefit of a Master's is saving time. With your QS degree in place, perhaps within just one year, becoming a chartered surveyor seems that much closer. One student went as far as saying it's the sole reason that they took the course. Yet a few declared they would need years in industry before the rigorous APC, arguing that a quick conversion is no substitute when it comes to keeping the diary.
When it comes to salary levels, Gareth Broadrick, property & surveying senior manager at Hays, says: "We have not seen any marked differences in salaries due to a cognate/non-cognate status. Suitable candidates are judged on their own merit and are paid accordingly, regardless of whether they possess an industry-specific degree."
Either way, Broadrick says that given the scale of skills shortages in the industry, "employers are being forced to alter their recruitment and training methods - taking on non-cognates is one method that can help to ease the burden of a lack of qualified candidates in the marketplace".
Currie & Brown says it is looking at non-cognates closely and "acknowledges the benefits they can bring to the company". At Davis Langdon, non-cognates make up 10% of the graduate intake each year while Gleeds' intake is around 50% (60% in London). EC Harris meanwhile confirms that it is moving towards taking on more non-cognates this year.
As for Djabatey, he is not sure what the immediate future holds, but it is likely to involve a return to Ghana: "I want to work as a QS, so I might set up my own consultancy. There are also World Bank projects going on I could work on, so I can continue improving the infrastructure of my country."
Charles Djabatey (49)
Original degree: Masters degree in civil engineering,
currently: stuying full-time
I founded a hospital with my wife Joyce in Accra, Ghana (Charles & Joyce Medicare) 14 years ago.
This course simply complements what I already have. I believe the course will make me a more rounded person in the construction industry.
I know a lot already, not just from my degree but from over 20 years experience, albeit in Ghana.
I chose this course because I was specific about QSing. I looked on the internet – I did not go through word of mouth or reputation. And I preferred London as I can fly in and out easily.
At the moment, what is exceptional is the professional practice module – it's an area that's totally new to me. So too is the economics module. But for me the enjoyment of the subject depends on the lecturer – I have come here to be taught.
However, what's difficult at the moment is the travelling – it's a 100-mile round trip from Luton.
Anwen Davies (30)
Original degree: Civil engineering,
currently: working part-time at McNicholas plc and in second year of course
Some people leave school and choose maths or physics, not necessarily with a job in mind. When I chose my degree I was thinking of the actual job. As you go through university you then develop in your mind the job at the end, through the experience.
After graduating I worked for a local authority. I got into transport planning and moved from sites to an office-based environment. Then I decided I wanted a change so went travelling for a year. I was aware of what a QS did and also that I wanted to be more on the commercial side when I returned. I guess with the market the way it is you can pick up the roles you want quite easily.
With transport planning, the firms seem to want to push you down that role and tick the boxes.
Initially this part-time course was difficult, but it's a good experience. With aspects such as design I'm able picture the jobs more easily because of my work experience, but I don’t think it is essential that you have work experience before starting the course.
So far I have found that studying law on this course has been particularly useful.
Ben Hayek (27)
Original degree: Law,
currently: working part-time
at RLF and in second year of course
It was a difficult decision to make to step back when I started the course (at 25). Before this I was a pub landlord for three years, but got fed up throwing people out of the door.
After my law degree I wanted to get into property development of breweries, hotels, and so on. But they're not interested in training people. But now I'm working across many sectors, and don’t feel I have to get straight into the hotel and leisure industry once I’ve finished.
Even though I have a bit of ‘life experience’, you also need technical experience when you're sitting in front of a client.
At the moment I'm familiar with aspects such as contract administration due to my law degree, but there are a lot of nuances that aren't taught with law that exist in construction.
Work wise I've been involved with housing associations in Hackney, east London - I'm still waiting to see if the Olympics will have an impact. Then there are insurance valuations.
Going part-time isn't easy. You have a full day studying, four days working, and I have to travel an hour – you have to be quite committed.
Kate Collinson (24)
First degree: History,
currently: working part-time at Mowlem and in second year of course
My father's a surveyor and I've spent a lot of time going around sites with him. I spent a year assisting him after I finished my BA in History. I would type up his reports and he spent a lot of time teaching me. I find that most people go into construction because a relative introduced them to the industry.
I just really enjoyed the environment. I didn't come up against any sexism or bad attitudes.
I'm now working for Mowlem - well, soon to be Carillion – and I find I get treated really well on site. If I'm walking around a site people are helpful, they're willing to talk to me and answer questions. It's not like they're wolf-whistling or anything.
Even in meetings, if someone swears they'll apologise to me, even though I don't mind.
The skills I've used on the course from my history degree are researching and writing – there is a lot of both to do.
What's surprised me about the course is the range of people I've met. It's good to talk to people who are working for contractors, PQSs and QSs. On my history course at LSE I was in a small group of people with similar backgrounds.
The hardest thing about the course is finding time to get everything done while working at Mowlem. One day a week I'm in college, from 9 till 7. Then there's coursework, revision, background reading. And I'm doing my APC at the same time, so I have to update my APC diary regularly.
I've been wondering whether I should have done it all at once like this. It's been hard lately, but I reckon I'll just give myself a hard couple of years and get it all out the way.
And you're not doing it alone. Lots of other people are in the same position and you get help from work too.
Filipe Cardeira (28), from Portugal
Original degree: Architecture,
currently: working part-time at Davis Langdon and in second year of course
Basically, the course is a way to get chartered. You do your real learning on the job. Here they teach you business and finance, which helps you see the bigger picture, so the course is still useful.
I worked in the UK as an architect for six years. At a certain point I realised I was more business and cost-oriented than I was design-oriented. I found it easy to return to studying because you study so much in architecture.
My colleagues are different now also – all are either married, engaged or in stable relationships. It's a cliché but its true that architects don't live in the real world. Or at least they are very unstable. Most of the ones I know are single and getting them to go to the pub is never an issue.
I'm doing some big office schemes in the Square Mile, including 201 Bishop's Gate, a multi million state of the art scheme for Britsh Land. I'm working on subcontractor packages, doing things like the prelims and valuations on the building's toilets.
Your colleagues don't take you seriously at all when you're a student, regardless of what you can do. But I'm finishing my course soon.
I enjoy the fact the course is very business-oriented. We do a lot on corporate finance, we even look at the stock market.
Lisa Almquist (29), from Sweden
Original degree: Statistics and operational research,
currently: studying full-time
It's difficult. We study three days a week but with the amount of coursework there is, you need those two days off. After my degree I worked for the Office of National Statistics for two years. I've always had an interest in construction (my father is a project manager), and I've always liked construction, but not the actual building side. In Sweden you don't really have QSs, so I went down a different career path.
In the future I don't want to work with a contractor, I'd choose a consultancy.
My original degree is helpful when we do economics. But as there is a lot of essay writing, I'm lacking. The range is wide though with the full-time degree so I'm definitely picking up the basics of QSing.
The set-up is good and we mix well with the part-time students. What's good is that often the part-time students ask questions during a lecture that a full-time student wouldn't think of asking.
There are also so many different backgrounds here – I've met people with degrees in Arabic, maths, history, business - everyone is unique. But they are all determined.
My advice to someone who's considering a course like this would be if you were really sure about it, then do it.
About London South Bank University
- SBU’s MSc/Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) QS course has been running since 2001 - both are RICS accredited.
- The university’s target number for the course is 50 students per year but it has exceeded the target in each of the last three years.
- The course is the university’s second most popular, behind Estates Management. Pearson claims the employment record for students is nearly 100%.
- The PGDip can be taken full time (one academic year) or part-time (two academic years). To obtain an MSC students then need to do a dissertation, which will add on an extra semester at the end).
- Fees are about £4,000 for the PGDip + £600 for the Master’s dissertation.
- Roughly 30% of LSBU’s QS students are full-time and 70% part-time, 20% are female while 15% are overseas students.
Source
QS News
No comments yet