Countrywide Surveying Services (CSS) has announced a significant boost to its workforce, successfully qualifying 35 new surveyors through its dedicated training academy in the first half of 2026 alone. The latest intake includes six newly qualified professionals who joined the firm this month, highlighting the company’s aggressive push to replenish and revitalize the surveying industry.
The firm’s training academy currently hosts another 13 trainees actively working toward their qualifications. These recruits are drawn from a diverse range of property-related backgrounds, including estate agency, domestic energy assessment, and sales and lettings, bringing varied practical experience to the field. Notably, the academy is contributing to improved gender representation in the sector; five of the current trainees are women, and nearly one in four of the company’s wider field surveying and management staff are now female.
While the recruitment drive marks a milestone for CSS, leadership at the firm warns that the industry faces a looming existential crisis. Matthew Cumber, managing director at Countrywide Surveying Services, emphasized that while onboarding new talent is a necessary first step, the industry’s long-term survival depends on a much deeper structural commitment.
“Bringing new people into the surveying sector is vital, but the bigger challenge is creating a profession in which they can develop, progress and build long-term careers,” Cumber stated.
The urgency of this mission is underscored by recent data from Skyline’s 2026 Survey of Surveyors. The findings reveal a stark demographic divide that threatens the future of the profession: 62% of existing surveyors are aged over 50, while fewer than 16% are under the age of 40. Perhaps most concerning is that nearly half (46%) of current professionals surveyed indicated they do not expect to be working in the industry within the next decade.
Cumber views this mass exodus of experienced talent not just as a loss, but as a critical window for knowledge transfer. “As experienced surveyors begin to leave the industry, there’s an opportunity to pass on the knowledge and professional judgement they have built over many years,” he said. “That experience is difficult to replace, and ensuring it is shared with the next generation should be a priority across the sector.”
Looking ahead, the nature of the role itself is undergoing a rapid evolution. The modern surveyor must now navigate an environment increasingly shaped by sophisticated data analytics, new technologies, and a broader array of property-related risks. According to Cumber, the ultimate success of the industry will be measured by its ability to synthesize this technical capability with seasoned professional judgement.
“The strength of the profession will depend not only on how many people we attract into surveying, but on how well we equip them to become its experienced professionals of tomorrow,” he concluded.
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