When the Sherry FitzGerald group decided to put a more formal structure on the transition year programme the firm was running, they had little idea how popular the move would be. What started out in 2007 as single week's programme for around 15 students is now an oversubscribed programme run three times a year with a total of 120 students participating. "The idea was to give students a really good idea of what it was like to work in the firm so they get see all of the functions and departments here," explains Siobhán Broderick, HR Generalist at the Sherry FitzGerald group . "They get presentations from managers from Monday to Wednesday, on Thursday they get work experience in branches while on the Friday they get advice on their CVs and interview skills." One of the more popular features with students is a mock auction session where they get to use the gavel.
“On day one we take a show of hands as to how many students would consider a career in property. That number rises steadily when we ask them again at the end of the week,” says Broderick .
With the supply of graduates drying up, the programme is promoting property as a career option and in what the company hopes will be a sign of things to come, one of the participants from the first transition year programme recently joined the firm as a graduate trainee.
The SCSI in conjunction with surveying firms across the country also offers a range of schools initiatives to give students a taste of what surveying is about. “Surveyors call out to schools around the country and talk to students about why they chose this profession and what it’s like to work as a surveyor. Due to the strong support of firms we are also in a position to offer second-level students really great work placements right across the country,” says SCSI Schools and Colleges Liaison Officer SCSI, Catherine Noble.
