HARRIS LAMB CELEBRATES 100% APC SUCCESS RATE AS TWO FURTHER SURVEYORS ACHIEVE MRICS STATUS

Harris Lamb is celebrating the success of two of its team having passed their APC certifications to become RICS-qualified surveyors, putting the business’ achievement rate for the year at 100 per cent.

Becky Thomas, of the business’ Commercial Agency team, and Josie Hobbs, who works within the Planning Consultancy, each achieved their APC (Assessment of Professional Competence) qualifications this month.

They were trained by Harris Lamb’s in-house APC mentor Suzi McGivern, who said she was incredibly proud of the achievement.

Suzi said: “The APC is a gruelling part of becoming a Chartered Surveyor, involving a minimum of two years’ on-the-job experience, followed by a written submission, which includes an essay on a practical case study, culminating in a one-hour intense interview in front of a panel of RICS assessors in order to gain MRICS (Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) status. 

“It has always been a challenging process, made all the more so over the past few years due to to uncertainty and restrictions presented by the pandemic. Both Josie and Becky were managing their workloads and studies together with contending with lockdowns and office closures, so we set up online revision sessions, mock interviews and presentations practice sessions to counter that, focussing on the individual competences that the candidates would have to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of to ensure their studies weren’t impacted.

“Becky and Josie are both very dedicated, and showed real determination in pursuing their goals at a difficult time and their success is a testament to that. We are delighted that they have secured MRICS status and they should both be extremely proud of themselves,” she said.

Suzi added that she was particularly proud of Harris Lamb’s track record in achieving the required RICS pass rates. 

“The average pass rate for the RICS APC is between 60 and 70 per cent, but our graduate pass rate for 2022 is 100 per cent – something I’m thrilled by, and something that really demonstrates the dedication and determination of our team,” she added. 

The RICS states that MRICS status ‘demonstrates that RICS-qualified professionals have a chartered qualification and work to the highest industry standards.’

Becky, who joined the business in 2008, said: “I am over the moon to have fulfilled this goal. Over the 14 years I’ve worked with Harris Lamb, I’ve been fortunate enough to have a great deal of encouragement, with my colleagues Andy Groves, Richard Fantham and Neil Harris providing huge support throughout my studies to get me this far.

“Suzi’s guidance through the APC process was invaluable and having now achieved my RiCS qualification, it’s finally time to put the books down!”

Josie, who joined the business in 2021 added: “The APC is a challenging, but rewarding process, and I am delighted to have qualified with the support of Suzi and my colleagues. Having started my career as a Rural Surveyor after University, Harris Lamb has provided me with the support and encouragement to make the move into the Planning and Development sector, and knowing that securing my APC was my goal, allowed me to hit the ground running and take ownership of a diverse range of projects from day one.

“Having achieved this milestone, I can now look forward to further developing my skills within the business.”