As most of you know all too well, the requirements and competencies graduates need to fulfil in order to be successful in their RICS assessment are demanding to say the least. Firms that take on graduates must provide support and opportunity for them to meet the highest standards of professionalism required by RICS.
The CPN Graduate Development Programme provides a resource to member firms and their graduates that rivals that of any larger national firm. Across The CPN network, we have a vast pool of surveyors who specialise in not only the standard sectors but also niche sectors like ports, telecoms and tax advisory. This means that we can offer comprehensive tools and support to member firms’ graduates across a vast number of pathways and competencies within the APC.
The programme holds bi-monthly corporate online catchups, facilitated by Jon Lever of De Lever. These events are an opportunity for graduates to ask about anything to do with their progression. Questions range from how the APC works to more directed queries about jobs they are working on.
Jon provides information about the latest updates and hot topics in the APC process and surveying world. This forum is restricted to CPN member firms and is therefore a safe place for graduates to air their thoughts, questions, and concerns.
The CPN network also has a pool of assessors and chairpersons who facilitate mock interviews, enabling graduates to have more of a real-world experience compared to those organised with their colleagues within their firms. Graduates who have engaged with this process already have described it as invaluable to their learning and development.
It’s exciting times for the programme as plans are afoot to provide even more learning opportunities for graduates. These include further CPD topics and training, an online chat forum, and in-person events, which have been successful in the past. One such event saw us visit Nottingham Racecourse. As well as a harmless flutter on gee-gees, the participants took in some robust CPD sessions facilitated by subject matter expert surveyors from CPN member firms.
The CPN Graduate Development Programme is constantly working to fill the industry’s talent pool by providing firms and their graduates with the necessary tools, resources and face-to-face support as they progress towards their RICS qualification.