Published: 07 Dec 2022
2022 has been an exciting year for TSA. After two years of online-only during the pandemic, this year we have finally seen a proper return to face-to-face events. As we come to the end of 2022, we thought it would be a good opportunity to reflect on the previous 12 months and everything we have achieved.
January
After the Christmas break, 2022 started off well, with ground-breaking plans taking shape for the year with the opportunity to return to face-to-face events. We also started developing our plans for greater engagement via social media, which we have gone on to roll out throughout the year. It felt like a landmark achievement to reach 200 companies in membership.
February
February was a chance to look at how we can all approach bridging the skills gap and how TSA is working with its membership and other organisations to do just that. We work with many academies, universities and colleges, to ensure that graduates are equipped with the degree of learning required for a successful career in the survey sector, to fill the skills gap in the profession. TSA runs The Survey School in Worcester, where members and non-members of TSA undertake courses in a variety of surveying-related disciplines. TSA has always been a strong advocate for the apprenticeship route, having supported the establishment of the Geospatial Apprenticeships.
March
After much talk, TSA’s AGM took place in March. We were thrilled to welcome around 70 members to our Annual General Meeting at the beautiful Elvetham Hotel in Hook, Hampshire on Wednesday 30 March, our first in-person AGM since 2019. Our guest speaker for the event was primetime BBC TV presenter Matt Allwright. Renowned for his work on consumer rights programmes, such as Watchdog, Rogue Traders and Fake Britain, Matt addressed the dynamics of trust in a compelling speech, leading on to the importance of credentials and trade bodies in upholding professional standards and maintaining consumer confidence. Members also enjoyed engaging in a lively and structured debate on fees.
April
Following the successful TSA AGM, in April we took the time to introduce the council members. The council members play an important and voluntary role in ensuring that the work we do is what our membership need. The council is made up of representatives from full member companies who are elected into their roles. If you are interested in getting involved, please get in touch.
May
In May we were back to face-to-face, when we exhibited at Geo Business (18 – 19 May 2022). It was a great show and a wonderful opportunity to connect with others in the surveying profession. We exhibited at the show, along with CICES, RICS and AGI, and used the opportunity to network extensively with members and prospective members to get the message out – ‘Keep Calm and Use a TSA Member’. We also had a range of TSA promotional items to give away, promoting diversity and inclusion (TSA rainbow ‘surveying is for everyone’ sunglasses) and also sustainability (bamboo sunglasses, pens and travel cups).
June
Our aim at TSA is to engage with our members’ client base to make sure that TSA membership has real impact and meaning for those that seek to procure survey. We held our second Vision Day in June, when the council reconvened to flesh out our three vision statements. These are:
- TSA will help you to build a better business
- Every young person should know about land surveying as a career
- Clients with a survey requirement will always choose a TSA member.
July
Membership, and interest in membership, has been on the increase this year and by July we had welcomed a mixture of full, affiliate and supplier members, with this being our most successful year ever in terms of completed applications received.
August
Cyber security for Surveyors is vital, and we have developed our essential guide to cyber security with PCM Systems, which outlines several ways you can try to keep cyber criminals at bay. We shared information on this, along with some top tips in one of our August blogs. We also offered a Protective Security Briefing webinar by Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) to members, which was a real eye opener!
September
Coming back to skills shortages, our polls show that the skills shortage in our profession is our members’ biggest concern. At peak in February this year there were 111 job opportunities advertised on TSA’s website. To help combat this we are seeking better means of engaging with school students to introduce our profession to those who are choosing their career path at school. We are working with Alison Watson of Class of Your Own, to help us to navigate our way around secondary education to get our message in front of young people in an engaging and informative way.
Having funded the initial development of the recent geospatial apprenticeships, TSA has been instrumental in reinvigorating the Trailblazer Committee, with council member Lucy Powers and TSA stalwart Richard Maltby chairing the newly re-formed committee.
October
Friday 14 October saw the graduation of students from The Survey School at the beautiful location of Worcester Racecourse. 14 students were presented with their awards and certificates for completing TSA Surveying Courses 54 and 55. Watch the short film that captures the celebrations and shows the lasting importance of the course.
November
Wednesday 9 November was the fifth TSA Conference. The conference was themed ‘Stronger Together’. With a record turnout, members filled the spectacular Sky Suite at the British Motor Museum, near Warwick. TSA President Nick Hampson welcomed everyone and set the scene for the day. Speaking about the vision and aims for TSA, he said, “I believe that working together we present a formidable force….as a small profession, we need to work together with common cause to highlight our influence on every project in which we’re involved”.
Following Nick’s introduction, we had the great honour of having Sir Clive Woodward as our keynote speaker. His talk, ‘The DNA of a Champion’, with insights from his illustrious career, was absolutely riveting. Building on our great relationship with the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, we welcomed the RIAS President, Chris Stewart, to speak about values, sustainability, and the emergence of retrofit as a key area that architects and surveyors need to work together on.
December
Now as we reach the end of the year, planning is already well underway for 2023. As previewed at the conference, TSA will be launching a PAS128 Accreditation Scheme called ‘PUMA’. We have more first-class events for members already in the diary, we are working with client organisations and we are working hard to promote land surveying as a career. If you want to find out more, please get in touch.
But for now, we would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and exciting things for 2023!
