ALSA Current State Assessment DRAFT V2 - ABCLS · Current State Assessment | Draft Report | ALSA Page 3 1.3 Methodology Project methodology was developed to enable a thorough assessment

© Strategy Summit Ltd. 2005.

Current State Assessment Draft Report

Prepared for Alberta Land Surveyors’ Association (ALSA)

Prepared by Strategy Summit Ltd. March 31, 2005

C O N F I D E N T I A L - D R A F T

Current State Assessment | Draft Report | ALSA

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... 1

1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 2

2 DEMAND ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................ 4

3 SUPPLY ASSESSMENT.............................................................................................. 5

4 FUTURE STATE OF THE PROFESSION.................................................................... 8

5 KEY CHALLENGES..................................................................................................... 9

6 STRATEGIES .............................................................................................................11

APPENDIX 1 – LIST OF STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPANTS..............................................15

APPENDIX 2 – DEMAND SCENARIOS ............................................................................16

APPENDIX 3 – STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW SUMMARIES............................................20


Current State Assessment | Draft Report | ALSA Page 1

Executive Summary In an effort to evaluate the implications of membership demographics on the Land Surveying profession, the ALSA Future of the Association Ad Hoc Committee engaged Strategy Summit Ltd. to provide an objective third party Current State Assessment of the profession. Through this process, existing knowledge, data and trend information was supplemented with a combination of comparative research and focused stakeholder interviews to discover information that could help answer the following questions facing the profession: What is the current and future market? (i.e. demand for the profession) The most likely demand forecast for ALS is estimated at a total of 435-450 Alberta Land Surveyors in 2010—an increase of 25% over ALS current supply, which is estimated at 352 members in 2005. Do membership demographics indicate a broad retirement is coming in the profession? Stakeholder feedback indicates that a broad, sudden retirement is not likely to occur before 2010. Rather, retirement is likely to occur in a slower, “phased manner”, accelerating beyond 2010 as many members reach 60 years of age or older. Therefore, the largest retirement impact will be in 2010-2015. At the current level of education and training standards, will the trends and the availability of technical staff affect ALSA’s membership? Technicians and technologists are considered an integral part of the overall Land Surveying industry. A loss in the critical mass of these staff may hinder the Land Surveying industry’s ability to conduct its work. Accordingly, ALSA recruitment strategies should not rely on technical staff as a key recruitment source, but rather work with partners to ensure the industry as a whole is attractive for new entrants. Will membership have the ability to serve ALSA’s market? Based on current trends, the five-year market for ALSA services is expected to be near equilibrium, meaning membership will have the ability to serve 2010 market demands. However, the 10-year market is expected to have a supply gap of 45 members as baby boomer retirement will intensify from 2010-2015. What challenges exist to marketing the profession and attracting new entrants? Overall, there appears to be strong misperceptions of the profession in the market and lack of knowledge regarding the range of potential Land Surveyor roles, duties and work environments. Awareness of the profession is low, and the brand suffers from poor profiling and a perceived uniformity in membership. What bottlenecks exist to entry into the profession that ALSA can help to address? Key bottlenecks include a perception that the investment in ALS education does not provide the returns that other options provide, a lack of educational capacity or options for transitioning from related careers, a poor perception regarding professional quality of life, and a lack of proactive foreign accreditation processes. What concerns do members have about the profession’s long-term viability? The primary concern is that an inability to meet future demands could result in an end to the right to self-govern, which could lead to an expanded definition of the type of professional allowed to do ALS work. What strategies and roles can ALSA pursue to meet the long-term interests of the profession? A number of short, medium and long-term strategies have been identified to respond to demand conditions. In addition, the following strategic priorities have been identified as being critical to long-term success: ▪ Early-stage profession promotion: Decreasing membership growth rates in the 10-15 year horizon

indicate the need to look at career promotion with high school and early-stage post-secondary students to ensure the profession is well positioned for long-term member recruitment.

▪ Improve “Brand Awareness”: General misconceptions around the profession indicate the need to improve understanding by creating a more dynamic profile of surveying professionals.

▪ Build strong partnerships: The association will need to play a strong role as facilitator in the attraction of new members to the profession by working with industry, educational institutions and government to address shared challenges.



1 Introduction

1.1 Context The history of the Land Surveyors profession in Alberta is long and varied, having undergone several periods of transition in response to changes in economic and political landscapes. From early ‘boom’ times for the profession at the start of the 20th century when Dominion lands were being surveyed, to severe industry downturns in the Depression and war years, and then a resurrection in the post-war boom in the 1950’s, the profession has responded to the good times and been impacted by the bad. Most recently, the profession experienced another ‘boom’ in enrolment prior to 1978 as the industry moved towards the implementation of a post-secondary degree requirement as part of becoming an accredited Land Surveyor. Now, as this era of professionals—the ‘baby boomer’ generation—approach the age of possible retirement, the profession of Land Surveyors in Alberta appears again to be nearing a stage of transition. As the organization’s ‘baby-boomer’ members near retirement, ALSA recognizes that Alberta could be poised to experience a significant attrition rate in the number of certified surveyors within the next 10 years. In its role as the steward of public interest in the profession in Alberta, ALSA also recognizes that it must continually assess industry influencers and respond to market forces in order to ensure the long-term viability of the profession. Faced with this context, ALSA initiated a long-range planning process through the creation of ALSA’s Future of the Association Ad Hoc Committee. The Committee’s activities have been defined in its Terms of Reference for 2004-05, which focuses on building a plan to attract potential surveyors to the profession and on reviewing the association’s registration (articling) process to ensure that pupils are being appropriately trained and coached through the process. In order to properly address potential influencers and effectively plan for the future, ALSA identified the need for an objective third-party Current State Assessment of the Land Surveyors’ profession. The goals of this assessment were to understand the dynamics of the profession today, identify external and internal factors that influence the profession, and the possible impact on the profession’s future viability. In order to accomplish this, Strategy Summit Ltd. was hired to develop a facilitated approach to completing a Current State Assessment that engages ALSA candidates, members, and companies in a constructive dialogue on the future of the Land Surveyors profession in Alberta.

1.2 Desired Outcomes The goal of this initiative was to investigate, analyze and develop responses to the following key questions: ▪ What is the current and future market? (i.e. demand for the profession) ▪ Do membership demographics indicate a broad retirement is coming in the profession? ▪ At the current level of education and training standards, will the trends and the availability of technical

staff affect ALSA’s membership? ▪ Will membership have the ability to serve ALSA’s market (in 2010)? ▪ What challenges exist to marketing the profession and attracting new entrants? ▪ What bottlenecks exist to entry into the profession that ALSA can help to address? ▪ What concerns do members have about the profession’s long-term viability? ▪ What strategies and roles can ALSA pursue to meet the long-term interests of the profession? The desired outcomes of this initiative are threefold:

To develop a “State of the Profession” assessment that incorporates existing knowledge, researched learnings, the thoughts, ideas and feedback of ALSA stakeholders;

To define a 3-5 yr demand forecast for the Alberta Land Surveyors’ profession that identifies market trends and drivers, including anticipated changes in demand over the next 3-5 years;

To identify key issues, challenges, and opportunities for the Alberta Land Surveyors’ profession and ALSA as necessary inputs to organizational strategic planning activities.



1.3 Methodology Project methodology was developed to enable a thorough assessment of critical Land Surveyor profession components such as membership demographics, membership in-flow and outflow patterns, and the recruitment and articling process. By speaking with a cross-section of students, educators, professionals and corporate leaders, Strategy Summit worked to identify anticipated market demand factors that could influence the profession over the next 3-5 years—which was deemed an appropriate timeframe for this initiative. The objective was also to identify ways that ALSA can mitigate factors that may negatively affect the viability of the profession, and document key findings in a final report. Key methodology steps included: ▪ Review existing background information including surveys, data and membership information; ▪ Analyze macro industry trends, issues and activities including comparable associations; ▪ Perform approximately 50 1-hour interviews with target stakeholder groups to determine strengths and

challenges with both the ‘supply’ and ‘demand’ side of the profession over the next 5 years; ▪ Review interview outcomes with Ad Hoc Committee, challenge findings, and incorporate feedback; ▪ Consolidate key interview findings and themes with statistical analysis to create a ‘current state of the

profession’ as well as most probable future demand scenarios for Committee discussion; ▪ Review findings and potential strategies with Ad Hoc Committee and prepare and submit a final report.

1.4 Interview Participants Consultation with the Ad Hoc Committee identified five main stakeholder groups for interview participation. Within each group, interviewees were chosen to provide a healthy cross-section of age, experience, geographical representation and industry focus. The participant stakeholder groups are as follows:

Land Surveying educational bodies Goal: To investigate enrolment trends, student interests, and the role of Land Surveyors &

Survey Technicians in the industry.

Recent Geomatics graduates who did not enter Land Surveying Goal: To discover what attracts students to Geomatics, and what barriers exist to pursuing

Land Surveying.

ALSA articling students Goal: To gain insight into typical Alberta Land Surveyor’s (ALS) interests and their expectations

of the profession.

ALSA members-at-large Goal: To assess current and future demand for ALS, as well as the profession’s long-term

viability.

Survey corporation representatives Goal: To assess demographic issues faced by the corporations and their attempts to mitigate

its effects.

A summary of completed stakeholder group interviews is shown below. (See list of participants, Appendix 1.) Table 1.1: Summary of Interview Completions

Stakeholder Group Completed Number of Interviews:

Target Interview Number:

Completion Percentage

(%) Land Surveying educational bodies 5 5 100% Recent Geomatics graduates that did not enter Land Surveying 6 7 86% ALSA articling students 7 8 88% ALSA members-at-Large 10 10 100% Survey corporation representatives 19 20 95% TOTAL 47 50 94%



2 Demand Assessment “What is the current and future market, i.e. demand for the profession?”

2.1 Demand Trends & Influencers Stakeholder feedback indicates growth in ALS demand is closely linked to growth in the oil and gas sector, which tends to drive provincial economic growth. Historical analysis shows Alberta’s economy has grown at an average rate of 3.7% over the last 20 years, with 4.4% growth in 2004. Over the last five years, demand for ALS services appears to have increased at a rate nearly equivalent to Alberta’s economic growth, with an average growth in membership of 3.4%. The close relationship with this sector creates a degree of demand uncertainty in the future given how global events, such as the Kyoto Accord and war or political instability in the Middle East, could affect Alberta’s economy. Alberta’s economic growth and current development boom are also at risk from factors such as cost inflation, interest rate fluctuation and rising consumer debt levels. Another factor influencing ALS demand is an increase in client expectations, where clients are demanding greater productivity and expecting more of the profession than ever before. Although remarkable efficiency gains have been achieved through technology improvements in Land Surveying equipment, increased client expectations will continue to offset these gains unless further advances are achieved and/or client expectations are appropriately managed. This issue is compounded by an increase in ALS administrative responsibilities in the workplace, heightened safety responsibilities, larger workplace management issues, and an increase in documentation requirements. Overall, these factors contribute to a situation where Land Surveyors are being asked to deliver greater results with fewer means, putting pressure on current capacity.

2.2 Demand Forecasting Full graduate placement in recent years and a competitive market for ALS services indicates that there is currently a high demand for land surveyors. Other market indications, such as an absence of major price increases for professional land surveyor services indicates that current demand is not in excess of the supply, or that the market is in relative equilibrium at an estimated demand of 352 ALS professionals in 2005. Given the strong correlation between provincial economic growth rates and the demand for Land Surveying services, the key indicator of demand is Alberta’s economic growth forecast for the next 3-5 years. Recognizing that global market dynamics make it extremely difficult to forecast growth any further than the next 1-2 years, three potential growth scenarios were developed to evaluate the impact of different economic growth rates on ALS demand over the next five years (to 2010). While the full analysis of each scenario is contained in Appendix 2, this exercise helps to provide insight into the impact on supply requirements.

Growth Impact on ALS demand 2010 Demand Slows to 2% (Scenario 1)

▪ Demand growth would decrease and there would be excess supply, which could result in downwards price pressure.

389 ALS; Increase of 11%

Stays at 4% (Scenario 2)

▪ Demand would continue to be met, however any supply impacts, such as mass retirement, could jeopardize service.


Doubles to 8% (Scenario 3)

▪ Demand would significantly exceed traditional supply rates, requiring aggressive recruitment and retention strategies.


2.3 Demand Conclusion While the demands on current ALS continue to grow and put pressure on delivery capacity, overall demand for the profession is being spurred by record growth in Alberta’s economy, particularly the oil and gas sector. A review of potential future scenarios and current demographics indicates that the most likely demand scenario for 2010 would be a slightly increased annual economic growth rate of 4.5% to ALS demand. Therefore, the most likely demand forecast for ALS is estimated at a total of 435-450 Alberta Land Surveyors in 2010—an increase of 25% over ALS current supply (2005).



3 Supply Assessment The challenge of this assessment is to determine how key influencers, trends

and demographic shifts will impact ALS estimated supply forecast for 2010.

3.1 Supply Trends & Influencers Stakeholder feedback indicates that a difference in work-life attitudes, combined with other generational differences, is likely to impact the profession’s ability to service demand into the future. Younger generations of surveyors are perceived to be less willing to work in remote locations or to work the long hours of previous generations. This could limit the overall capacity of work that can be delivered by the ALS industry, creating a net loss in productivity for membership as a whole. As it gets increasingly difficult to recruit young ALS members to rural service areas, there may also be increased supply gaps in rural markets. In addition to concerns over inputs to supply, ALS demographics point to a growing concern over the number of “baby boomer” members that will be approaching traditional retirement age (i.e. age 65) in the near future. The challenge is to understand when potential changes in supply reductions (i.e. retirements) and forecasted supply additions (i.e. new entrants) will take place and estimate the impact on total future supply. To understand the current supply situation and accurately forecast the supply pattern into future horizons, a historical analysis of memberships supply data was undertaken. Figure 3.1 outlines the major statistical categories affecting the ‘supply’ side of the membership base for the last 5 calendar years. Figure 3.1 – Historical Supply Analysis (2000 – 2004)

# of Articling Active Members Other New Actively Average Age Avg Age of Students # of new ALS That Left Members Practicing of new ALS Retirees

2000 84 8 2 290 42.1 n/a2001 85 14 7 5 302 37.1 61.82002 87 7 5 1 305 35.7 62.32003 88 11 7 2 311 38.2 662004 96 27 7 1 332 38.5 55.5

Avg / yr 13.4 5.6 2.25 38.32 61.4 From this historical supply analysis, a number of observations can be made about supply trends: ▪ While there is no consistent pattern in the number of new ALS entrants over the last five years, this

statistic is strongly correlated to the number of Geomatics educational enrolment spots available. ▪ A recent jump in the number of new ALS observed in 2004 can be attributed to an increase in the

available Geomatics enrolment spots at U of C which occurred approximately 5 year ago. This change is likely to result in an increase the number of new members and articling students from 2004 forward.

▪ The average age of a new ALS is 38 years old, which indicates that a large number of new entrants are completing their accreditation later in life. This situation will impact the type of candidate (i.e. target demographic) that could be targeted by future recruitment strategies.

▪ On average, 2 ‘other’ members join the membership each year. This category represents a statistical discrepancy between the numbers of ‘actively practicing’ members and the actual membership total as calculated by the number of new ALS joining and existing ALS retiring in the past calendar year. This ‘other’ category must be accounted in predicting future supply numbers.

▪ On average, 5-7 members (about 2% of total membership) exit the profession each year, either due to retirement (4-5 members per years) or for other reasons. This number impacts total growth in membership and is likely to change significantly if a mass “baby boomer” retirement occurs.

▪ There is no consistent trending pattern in the average retirement age of members, and the unusually low average in 2004 is likely due to an outlier (very young retiree). The sample size creates uncertainty.

▪ While the active membership base has grown by an average of 3.4% per year (which closely mirrors Alberta’s 3.7% economic growth rate), the expected increase in number of annual new entrants from 2004 forward could significantly impact active membership growth rates in the future.



3.2 Impact of Retirement on Supply “Do membership demographics indicate a broad retirement is coming in the

Alberta Land Surveyors profession?” (I.e. in the next 5 years) Stakeholder interviews revealed that members felt most organizations had a large number of key individuals nearing the typical retirement age but were not expected to retire immediately. Feedback indicates many baby boomers have expressed a desire to exit the profession in a “phased manner” over the next 5-10 years, meaning they are more likely to approach retirement as a reduction in work hours over a longer period of time as opposed to a sudden exit. Many of these ‘retirees’ are expected to choose to work reduced hours or to act in advisory roles within companies in order to maintain an income and assist with succession plans. This phenomenon is expected to occur primarily in smaller, non-government settings where pension plans are less likely, and will serve to dilute the effects of baby boomer retirements in the next 5 years. The figure below summarizes the most recent ALS demographic information in order to get a better understanding of how aging demographics could impact overall supply through retirement.

Figure 3.2 – ALS Membership Demographics (2000) Age 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80

# of Members 12 38 102 100 30 8% of Total Membership 4.1% 13.1% 35.2% 34.5% 10.3% 2.8%

Total290

100% An analysis of the membership demographics information above shows that: ▪ In the past, only a small percentage of members have been between the ages of 21-30, which

demonstrates how few students become new ALS entrants through a direct path from high-school to university to immediate entrance into the workforce upon receiving their commission;

▪ In 2000, 70% of membership was between the ages of 41-60; ▪ Since 35% of membership was between the ages of 51-60 in 2000, these members are assumed to be

between the ages of 56-65 in 2005 and will be above the age of 60 in 2010—a key retirement age. Conclusion: Stakeholder feedback indicates that a broad, sudden retirement is not likely to occur before 2010. Rather, retirement is likely to occur in a slower, “phased manner”, accelerating beyond 2010 as many members reach 60 years of age or older. Therefore, the largest retirement impact will be felt from 2010-2015.

3.3 Impact of Technical Staff on Supply “At the current level of education and training standards, will the trends and the

availability of technical staff affect ALSA’s membership?” Discussions with stakeholders revealed there is currently a broad shortage of technicians and technologists in industry. As a result, new technical graduates are offered numerous employment opportunities and their financial compensation has increased dramatically in the last number of years. This trend negatively impacts ALSA membership growth, as technical staff were traditionally a reliable source for future ALS entrants. This same pool of technical staff now view the educational requirements and training standards for becoming an ALS as too prohibitive to make the transition, especially given the decrease in relative salary differential. Recent salary increases for technical staff have also been accompanied by increased responsibilities, and may have the effect of luring candidates away from the Land Surveyors profession into the technical setting where educational requirements are less stringent but financial compensation is competitive. Conclusion: Technicians and technologists are considered an integral part of the overall Land Surveying industry. A loss in the critical mass of technical staff may prove to be as damaging to the Land Surveying industry as a shortage of ALS, as this group enables surveyors to focus on their core competencies. Accordingly, ALSA recruitment strategies should not rely on technical staff as a key recruitment source, but rather work with partners to ensure the industry as a whole is attractive for new entrants. (Note: technical industry stakeholders were not part of the interview study and may need to be investigated further to confirm results.)



3.4 Number of New Entrants Another key factor affecting total future supply for the profession is the number of new entrants to the ALS workforce. Due to a finite number of enrolment spots in a finite number of educational bodies, there is a limit to the number of new graduates that can enter the workforce each year. This direct correlation was observed by a jump in the number of new ALSA members in 2004 (see Figure 3.1), and expected in 2005. These increases were anticipated because of a boost in student enrolment spots at the University of Calgary in approximately 1999. As educational bodies have not indicated plans to further boost enrolment in the near future, the number of new entrants in coming years is expected to mirror the results from 2004 and 2005. Further feedback from the educational institutions interviewed indicates that, due to the academic challenge, not all students entering study programs will graduate and become land surveyors. In some cases the students find they may not have the aptitude or capabilities to become a land surveyor, or they may discover that their personal interests are not aligned with the profession. These stakeholders suggest that one way to mitigate this situation could be to increase the type and quality of applicants in order to increase the potential for graduating a higher percentage of students into the ALS profession. For example, anecdotal evidence provided indicates that one of the top three graduating students for the ALS profession is typically a female student. Conversely, while an estimated 25% of engineering students may be female, only one-third of these students will pursue a career as a Land Surveyor. Conclusion: The current challenge regarding new entrants shows that while the number of student enrolments is finite, not all of these students are successfully graduating into the Land Surveyor profession. In order to bolster the number of successful graduates, other potential candidate groups could be targeted for enrolment or entrance into the profession. This includes specific groups that are currently underrepresented in the industry and demonstrate a strong potential aptitude for the profession, as well as non-traditional sources of new entrants. These groups include: ▪ Aboriginal Groups: a large, young and underrepresented demographic that may have strong rural

roots, enjoy outdoor work environments, and have a strong knowledge of the land; ▪ Women: underrepresented in the profession relative to the number of women in engineering, with

evidence of aptitude for the profession; ▪ Migration / Immigration: a lack of awareness, process or accreditation transfer may be limiting access

to non-traditional sources of skilled professionals, such as other provinces or foreign countries.

3.5 Supply Conclusions The major supply concern over the impending baby boomer retirement is a result of a large concentration of members nearing the typical retirement age. While demographic information supports the contention that a supply gap risk exists from potential retirement within the next five years, anecdotal evidence suggests a ‘phased’ retirement may delay the full effects of this boomer demographic on total membership beyond 2010. Further demographic analysis (Future State Model section) will demonstrate how this demographic could have a much greater impact on the profession during the 2010-2015 period. A review of the importance of technical staff to the long-term viability of the profession demonstrates that the ALS profession must look beyond this source to other non-traditional source of future ALS candidates—it cannot rely on career transition by technical staff. An insufficient supply of technical staff to help Land Surveyors in their work could be equally as damaging to the profession as an insufficient supply of ALS. Further, although increases in educational enrolment have resulted in an increase in new ALS entrants, a higher success rate in graduates to the profession can only be achieved by attracting more diverse, higher quality applicants. Both Women and Aboriginals are identified as being underrepresented groups that have displayed an aptitude for the profession, and may prove to be valuable targets for enrolment in the future. Therefore, future supply for the profession is highly dependent on the expectation of a ‘phased’ retirement by the current baby boomer demographic, the ability to increase the conversion rate of applicants-to-graduates, and by looking to other markets for similarly trained professionals.



4 Future State of the Profession

4.1 Future State Model The future state model is designed to help estimate the number of ALS professionals that can be expected versus required to meet 100% of the forecast demand in 2010. The goal is to provide insight into the potential size of the demand-supply gap that may exist in five years (2010) to assist with the development of appropriate strategies and goals to meet the long-term needs of the profession. Key model assumptions are:

Demand Assumptions Supply Assumptions ▪ Current demand for ALS services is 100%

(2005). ▪ Demand for ALS services is closely correlated

with the level of economic activity in Alberta. ▪ Demand for ALS members will increase at

4.5% per year from 2005-2010.

▪ Total ALS membership (supply) is 352 in 2005. ▪ 20 New ALS enter per year from 2005-2010. ▪ 2 ‘other’ members enter profession annually. ▪ Ages within categories are normally distributed. ▪ One-third of individuals aged 61-65 will retire. ▪ Two-thirds of individuals aged 66-70 will retire. ▪ All individuals above age 71 will retire.

Based on these assumptions and current data, the future state forecast for ALS is outlined below: Figure 4.1 – Demand Supply Forecast

GAPExpectedDemandGrowth

ExpectedDemand

Requirement

Estimate # ofRetirees / Exits(previous 5 yrs)

Anticipated # ofNew Members

(previous 5 yrs)

EstimatedMembership

Supply

MembershipGrowth / Yr

(previous 5 yrs)Supply

Gap2000 - - - - 290 - -2005 100% 352 23 85 352 4.0% 02010 125% 439 28 110 434 4.3% 52015 155% 547 42 110 501 2.9% 45

DEMAND SUPPLY

Period

4.2 Future State Analysis “Will membership have the ability to serve ALSA’s market?” (I.e. in 2010)

From the model above, we can see that membership growth is expected to continue at a healthy rate of 4.3%per year from 352 members in 2005 to 434 members in 2010. Given an anticipated growth in demand of 4.5% per year, demand levels are expect to reach a total of 439 ALS professionals in 2010. This indicates that, even with minor fluctuations in the model or slight variations in demand or supply, overall membership is expected to be able to serve ALSA’s 2010 market—the 2010 market is expected to be near equilibrium. The retirement formula in this model is consistent with historical demographic trends. However, as indicated by stakeholder feedback on retirement, a growing number of retirements is more likely in the 2010-2015 horizon. Given there is currently a finite level of growth through new entrants, this is expected to result in a significant long-term supply gap—the 2015 market is expected to have a supply gap of 45 ALS, or 8%. Further, if the phased retirement assumption for this model does not hold true beyond 2010 and a mass retirement occurs in 2010-2015, the supply gap could increase dramatically. For example, if from 2010-2015 all members above the age of 65 retire, and two-thirds of those above the age of 60 retire, the supply gap will widen considerably to 75 members. This possibility requires focused, long-term strategic attention. Conclusion: Based on current trends, the five-year market for ALSA services is expected to be near equilibrium, meaning membership will have the ability to serve 2010 market demands. However, the 10-year market is expected to have a supply gap of 45 members as baby boomer retirement will intensify from 2010-2015.



5 Key Challenges

5.1 Challenges in Marketing What challenges exist to marketing the profession and attracting new entrants?

The major challenge for the profession is to create a better understanding and perception of Land Surveying with target applicants, including those within industry. Geomatics students are excellent examples where most students choose this discipline because of its technical appeal and high computer content. Once they enter the program and are exposed to Land Surveying, they tend to view the profession as unsophisticated with high field content. This is not aligned with their core interests or original reasons for entering Geomatics. Other common stakeholder misperceptions include the view that the profession consists of an ‘Old Boys Club’, meaning membership is typically comprised of white, older male group of members that are intimidating to a potential member who does not fit the homogeneity of this group. Specifically, this perception may be limiting the number of female entrants who, despite displaying an aptitude for Land Surveying, are relatively underrepresented in educational bodies and in the profession. In addition to misperceptions, there are also challenges in general awareness for the profession. The very nature of Land Surveying acts as a natural impediment, as much work tends to be completed ‘behind the scenes’ and with a low profile. Awareness of the profession tends to rely on exposure through a family member who may work in the field, summer job experience, or familiarity gained through a local project where a Land Surveyor was present. Without this early exposure, the awareness of Land Surveying as an available and attractive career option appears limited. Conclusion: Overall, there appears to be strong misperceptions of the profession in the market and lack of knowledge regarding the range of potential Land Surveyor roles, duties and work environments. Awareness of the profession is low, and the brand suffers from poor profiling and a perceived uniformity in membership.

5.2 Bottlenecks What bottlenecks exist to entry into the profession that ALSA can help to

address? One of the major bottlenecks to entry into the profession is a perceived disconnect between the educational requirements for becoming an ALS, and the financial compensation earned in the marketplace. Student feedback indicated that their time and efforts would be better invested in other areas of engineering where a similar pay scale could be achieved, but with less educational requirements. Further, some potential entrants such as technicians and technologists are limited by the lack of educational program options for transitioning to become an ALS. This includes a lack of programs that cater to technologists and create programs to give exemptions. A finite number of enrolment spots in the university programs also acts as a bottleneck to the profession by limiting the future number of graduates available. The case-by-case nature of accreditation processes for foreign workers also limits immigrant attraction. Additional bottlenecks revolve around perceptions of professional quality of life, including the perceived level of travel and remote site work that is associated with the profession. This perceived quality of life appears to be at odds with the values of some young students, who choose other Geomatics disciplines where work in larger urban centers is more likely. Conclusion: Key bottlenecks include a perception that the investment in ALS education does not provide the returns that other options provide, a lack of educational capacity or options for transitioning from related careers, a poor perception regarding professional quality of life, and a lack of proactive foreign accreditation processes.



5.3 Other Membership Concerns What concerns do members have about the profession’s long-term viability?

Stakeholder feedback indicates the primary concern of members relates to the profession’s long-term ability to maintain the ALS Act and the right to self-govern. Members viewed the potential inability to service future demand (given the impact of factors outlined) as a major risk that could lead to the acceptance of other non-accredited engineers to perform the work that ALS professionals are currently legislated to do. Members saw significant risk in this scenario both in terms of the impact on quality of work performed, as well as to the level of professionalism associated with current ALSA membership. Conclusion: The primary concern is that an inability to meet future demands could result in an end to the right to self-govern, which could lead to an expanded definition of the type of professional allowed to do ALS work.

5.4 Hypotheses In addition to a focus on uncovering the answers to the outlined committee questions, a number of hypotheses were also developed to test interview results. Hypotheses that were either verified or falsified through the interview process are summarized below along with any relevant or common theme responses. (See stakeholder interview summaries, Appendix 3). Key hypothesis findings include: Demand for surveying services is increasing Verified ▪ Interviewees indicated that demand for their services are tied to Alberta’s economic activity, which is

heavily influenced by oil and gas activity—activity that is expected to increase in the years ahead. There is an impending supply shortage of Alberta Land Surveyors Verified ▪ Interviewees indicated that an already competitive market for ALS is expected to combine with the

eventual exit of the large baby boomer demographic to create a supply gap in the market. Interviewees indicated that the annual number of new ALSA members would not be sufficient to mitigate its effects.

Baby Boomers are in no rush to exit the workforce Verified ▪ While the eventual retirement of the baby boomer demographic is unavoidable, certain factors are likely

to delay the retirement decision. Factors influencing their decision include a continuing high demand for their services, peak earning periods, and the need to ensure succession planning. The net result may lead to an extension of the boomer retirement window and delay immediate membership declines.

Land surveying, as an industry, is being re-defined Falsified ▪ The responsibility of boundary data gathering remains the core function of Land Surveyors today. Major

changes in the industry center primarily on technological advances in equipment that have enabled surveyors to provide services more efficiently.

Client expectations and administrative duties have offset technology gains Verified ▪ While technological advances have enabled Land Surveyors to become more efficient in their core

duties, clients clearly recognize these efficiency gains and now expect greater volumes of work as a result. In addition, administrative responsibilities (i.e. managerial tasks, safety requirements, etc) have also increased significantly and have worked to negate any large technology gains.

There is less financial incentive for technologists to transition to land surveying Verified ▪ Escalating salaries and continued demand for technicians and technologists have reduced the incentive

for these workers to ultimately transition to become an ALS. A once steady supply of Land Surveyors from this area has been reduced significantly in recent years.



6 Strategies

6.1 Strategic Priorities Through this assessment, a number of demographic factors and key influencers have been identified that will impact the ability of ALSA members to serve future industry needs. While future demand cannot be forecasted with absolute certainty, this assessment has also identified several important issues that need to be addressed regardless of future demand. Although short / medium / long-term strategies will evolve in response to changing market conditions, the following areas have been identified as strategic priorities that the profession must address to strengthen its overall position in the labour market: ▪ Early-stage profession promotion:

− Longer-term membership demographics point towards decreasing membership growth rates in the 10-15 year horizon, indicating the Land Surveying profession will continue to face new member attraction pressures beyond the 2010 horizon of this assessment. Accordingly, the profession needs to look at career promotion with high-school students and early-stage post-secondary students to ensure the profession is well-positioned for long-term member attraction.

▪ Improve “Brand Awareness”:

− General misconceptions about the perceived roles and activities of a Land Surveyor indicate a need to educate the marketplace about the profession. The term Geomatics represents a possible barrier that does not effectively convey what a Land Surveyor does. To succeed in a competitive labour market, the profession will need to improve overall “brand awareness” and enhance efforts to position the profession by creating a more dynamic profile of surveying professionals (from field-to-office; entrepreneur-to-corporate). The profession may also need to consider changing its name to something that appeals to a broader candidate field, including trade/high schools and minorities.

▪ Build Strong Partnerships:

− The attraction of new members to the profession is not a challenge in isolation. The Association (ALSA) will need to play a strong role as facilitator, by working with industry players and corporations, education institutions and multiple levels of government to address shared challenges that range from promotion and recruitment, to accreditation and skilled labour immigration.

6.2 Key Considerations In addition to a need to address strategic priorities, there are several key considerations that will impact the selection of strategies to address future supply-demand issues. These considerations include: ▪ Adding new land surveying capacity does not need to come from new entrants alone. The profession

needs to ensure it is maximizing the utilization and productivity of surveying professionals today—whether through role definition, use of technology, or innovative business practices.

▪ Technologists should not be considered a key source of new entrants. The availability of field support staff will be important in the future and drawing away from technologists will hurt land surveying in the long-run. Efforts to attract new entrants should focus on attraction to the industry as a whole.

▪ Educational capacity is limited in the short-to-medium term and geomatics institutes are not attracting enough students today. While the number of admissions into programs has not changed substantially, the educational focus should also include Alberta colleges to train and graduate more techonologists, thereby increasing the viability of the industry as a whole.

▪ The history, tradition and culture of the profession is a potential barrier to growth. Mitigation strategies will need to challenge traditional industry norms through workplace innovations such as part time work or working from home, to attract younger generations, minority groups and non-traditional entrants.



6.3 Mitigation Strategies Potential Short Term Strategies 6.3.1 Reduce Surveyor administrative responsibilities ▪ Objective: Transfer administrative functions currently performed by surveyors to other business /

management professionals in order to free up the capacity of existing surveyors to do survey work. ▪ Tactics: Work with industry leaders to examine the practices of other professional service industries,

such as lawyers or accountants, and apply alternative business models or practices that increase the delegation of administrative tasks to non-surveyor professionals or assistants. (Example: Law firms that employ a Managing Partner that is not a lawyer).

6.3.2 Promote improved industry productivity ▪ Objective: Promote practices that improve the productivity in existing Alberta companies and increase

overall industry service capacity by enabling companies to do more with less. ▪ Tactics: Hold forums on leading productivity practices in order to educate members on the use of

industry technologies, tools and techniques to improve effectiveness, efficiency and competitiveness. 6.3.3 Increase ALS member retention ▪ Objective: Encourage members nearing retirement to stay longer in the workforce or have a slower

transition to retirement to ensure Alberta companies have the capacity needed to meet demand. ▪ Tactics: Work with industry Human Resource professionals to focus efforts on retaining retiring

members in some capacity, such as part time or seasonal, in order to meet demand and transfer knowledge to new members.

6.3.4 Improve inter-provincial recruitment ▪ Objective: Encourage a unified effort among Alberta companies to recruit graduates from other

Canadian jurisdictions to meet supply shortfalls. ▪ Tactics: Partner with Alberta industry Human Resource professionals to promote employment

opportunities in Alberta at key educational institutions, such as UNB and Laval, and establish a strong, clear approach that meets the collective needs of Alberta companies to attract potential workers.

6.3.5 Initiate international recruitment ▪ Objective: Address short-term supply shortfalls by recruiting workers from abroad. ▪ Tactics: Work with industry and government to identify foreign countries with comparable professional

accreditation and establish targeted recruitment and promotion, linked with skilled labour immigration programs such as the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program.

Potential Medium Term Strategies 6.3.6 Improve international accreditation recognition process ▪ Objective: Improve processes for recognizing international accreditation to increase the potential for

international worker recruitment. ▪ Tactics: Work with educational bodies and federal immigration programs to establish and improve

processes for recognizing and accrediting international graduates, as well as promote awareness of this process to potential employers in Alberta and potential workers from comparable foreign markets.

6.3.7 Increase post-secondary minority attraction ▪ Objective: Position the profession as an attractive option for underrepresented minorities to increase

the size of the potential attraction pool for new entrants. ▪ Tactics: Work with past or present members that are currently underrepresented minorities in the

profession, such as women or aboriginals, to promote the profession within educational systems through career day forums, guest lectures and other promotional activities.



6.3.8 Enhance post-secondary outreach ▪ Objective: Enhance the effectiveness of post-secondary outreach programs to improve the attraction

of students from within engineering programs. ▪ Tactics: Work with educational institutions and industry to increase promotion of the profession to

students entering engineering programs and improve the positioning of the profession against other alternative study routes.

6.3.9 Improve graduate work-place readiness ▪ Objective: Better prepare students for workplace situations through industry involvement. ▪ Tactics: Involve industry in equipment and information sharing programs with educational bodies to

encourage industry to take a greater role in easing student transition to the work-place. 6.3.10 Engage Associate Members ▪ Objective: Strengthen ties with associate members to help the profession develop better strategies. ▪ Tactics: Examine ways to enhance Associate Member benefits in order to increase the appeal of

participation with ALSA, and expand outreach efforts to establish integrated industry relationships. Potential Long Term Strategies 6.3.11 Improve high-school career promotion ▪ Objective: Increase the number of high-school students that understand and are attracted to the

surveying profession for post-secondary studies. ▪ Tactics: Launch grassroots program to encourage high-impact visits by ALS members to high schools,

through hands-on career promotion and education where members take their tools and equipment into high schools to generate interest in the profession. Initiate information programs and promotions for high-school guidance councillors to ensure they have the knowledge needed to properly promote the profession and to ensure the profession is given a competitive standing in career guidance programs.

6.3.12 Engage related professions in career promotion ▪ Objective: Ensure that clients and related professionals understand the Land Surveying profession and

engage them in general promotion of the profession as a career. ▪ Tactics: Use ongoing awareness and communication programs to educate front line clients and other

users of ALS services, such as lawyers and oil companies, about the benefits of the profession and encourage them to promote the profession as a career.

6.3.13 Improve awareness in minority groups ▪ Objective: Increase the appeal of the profession to minority groups currently underrepresented in

ALSA membership to increase the potential of attracting new entrants to the profession. ▪ Tactics: Implement focused promotion campaigns and awareness programs towards Women and

Aboriginal groups, which represent a large and untapped resource of recruitment candidates. 6.3.14 Increase rural recruitment & support ▪ Objective: Address the long-term concern over rural surveyor supply through promotions aimed at

encouraging rural area students to study Land Surveying and return to work in a rural business. ▪ Tactic: Partner with rural industry members to implement targeted promotions aimed at encouraging

students from rural areas to consider the profession and establish local career networks. Provide small business support programs for rural members to encourage rural entrepreneurial businesses.

6.3.15 Special Interest Scholarships ▪ Objective: Create targeted scholarships that provide additional incentives for the recruitment of special

interest candidates, such as rural candidates, women, and aboriginals. ▪ Tactic: Work with industry and geographic-specific companies to establish or expand scholarships that

will attract special interest groups to the profession while also meeting the recruitment needs of industry.



6.4 Conclusion In today’s world of dynamic economies and volatile global conditions, long-term demand for any profession is uncertain. While it may not be considered ALSA’s job alone to ensure market demands are always met, it will always be important to continually position the profession for strength, credibility, and opportunity. The application of the potential mitigation strategies outlined above will vary greatly due to a number of factors, including demand conditions, but success will always depend on the availability of resources, the potential for impact, and member and partner support for implementation.

6.5 Recommended Next Steps The findings and strategies contained in this report represent the collective thoughts, feedback and insight from key stakeholders and objective observers. As with any strategic planning exercise, the future cannot be forecast with absolute certainty. However, these strategies represent the best ideas on how to prepare for the future by those who know the industry best—its members. Accordingly, the following next steps are recommended as ways to take this exercise to the next level and begin planning and implementing immediately to prepare for the future: ▪ Review the findings with selected stakeholders to test the accuracy of content and directions; ▪ Assess the strategies provided and identify those ideas that represent the best potential for impact, as

opposed to those where the effort is significant and return is minimal; ▪ Establish a high-level strategic game-plan for the future of the profession that incorporates a balanced

approach of short-term, medium-term and long-term strategies; ▪ Review the long-term resource plan for the association (i.e. 5-year ALSA budget projections), and

establish the resource plan for strategic to address the future needs of the profession; ▪ Develop a detailed implementation plan that clearly defines specific initiatives, timeframes and budgets; ▪ Prepare a communications plan to inform membership of the association plan and why it is needed, and

to also outline the key roles and ways that different stakeholders can get involved; ▪ Go out and build support from members, enlist champions within industry and team with partners among

stakeholders to focus on common goals. ▪ Measure progress, assess changes to market conditions, and adapt strategies accordingly to meet the

ongoing needs of the profession.



Appendix 2 – Demand Scenarios Model Details In order to assess the effects of changing member demographics and best predict the future supply of ALSA membership for the scenario analysis, a number of broad assumptions were made: ▪ The number of members in each 10-year age category are evenly divided between the first 5-years and

the second 5-years; ▪ There are 15 new ALS entrants each year; ▪ 2 ‘other’ members enter profession annually; ▪ One-third of individuals aged 61-65 will retire; ▪ Two-thirds of individuals aged 66-70 will retire; ▪ All individuals above age 71 will retire. Applying the preceding assumptions to the latest available demographic information (2000 data) produced the following model forecast of the future supply.

21-25 26-30 31 - 35 36-40 41 - 45 46 - 50 51 - 55 56 - 60 61 - 65 66 - 70 71 +

No. ofMembersRetired

Anticipated# of NewMembers TOTAL

ExpectedMembership

GainYearlyGrowth

2000 6 6 19 19 51 51 50 50 15 15 8 29023 85 62 4.0%

2005 0 6 6 19 19 51 51 50 50 10 5 35228 110 82 4.3%

2010 - - 6 6 19 19 51 51 50 33 3 43442 110 68 2.9%

2015 - - - 6 6 19 19 51 51 33 11 50150

Note: It should be noted that no effort was made to slot new members into specific age categories. However, all new members are counted in the ‘total’ membership column. The preceding model was then used to contrast expected supply against three future demand scenarios in order to investigate what potential supply gaps may exist. The outcome was used to develop discussion around what strategies could be used to mitigate any potential issues that may arise. Sensitivity Analysis In the absence of perfect information, it was felt prudent to conduct a sensitivity analysis for the assumptions in each scenario. The purpose of this exercise was to examine how environmental conditions may change the results, and to ultimately engage the committee in a greater dialogue as to what potential influencers exist and how the association can best deal with them. Results of the exercise are presented next including the model outcome (supply gap) for each scenario, the sensitivity analysis performed for each, potential risks to the association, and possible strategies to mitigate the risks.



Demand Scenario #1: Economic Slowdown Model outcome (Gap Analysis):

– This scenario leads to an estimated 20 excess ALS in the marketplace.

Sensitivity Analysis on Scenario:

Situation Possible Effect Result Entrants Wages stagnate due to excess Say, 13 new ALS / year Gap = -10 Sensitivity: ALS and reduce student enrolment: Say, 10 new ALS / year Gap = +5 Retiree Reduced relative demand leads to Say, 3 additional retirements/year Gap = -5 Sensitivity increased retirement Say, 5 additional retirements/year Gap = +5

Risks ▪ Oversupply of labour leads to stagnation of wages; ▪ Profession may become less attractive to new entrants; ▪ Oversupply of ALS increases likelihood of boomer retirement. Strategies: General awareness for early stage candidates (long term approach) ▪ Institution of mentor program to transfer knowledge of impending retirees ▪ Increase associate member benefits (strengthen relationship with associate members to develop better

understanding of industry) ▪ Target High Schools for promotion / awareness (i.e. educate guidance councilors) ▪ Educate front line clients (lawyers, oil companies) of profession benefits to engage them in promoting

profession ▪ Targeted promotions to minority groups (women, aboriginal) to create awareness ▪ Targeted promotion / recruitment in rural areas – increase chances of a return to area upon graduation ▪ Provide small business support programs to members

Compound Expected Supply Expected SupplyGrowth Rate Demand Level Req's Supply Gap

Existing State (2005) - 100% 352 352 0Future State (2010) 2% 110% 389 409 -20



Demand Scenario #2: Current Growth Continues Model outcome (Gap Analysis):

– This scenario leads to an undersupply of 20 ALS relative to demand (5% shortfall)

Sensitivity Analysis on Scenario:

Situation Possible Effect Result Entrants Wage increases due to demand Sensitivity: leads to heightened attraction: Say, 17 new ALS / year Gap = +10 Labour shortages continue leading to reduced entrants to profession Say, 13 new ALS / year Gap = +30 Retiree High work demand leads to fewer Sensitivity retirees than anticipated Say 3 fewer retirees per year Gap = +5 Boomers reach retirement nest egg and retire in greater numbers Say 3 more retirees per year Gap = +35

Risks ▪ Undersupply of labour increases demand on current ALS; ▪ Excess work gets directed to technical staff, increasing the inherent risks to ALS; ▪ Workload for ALS becomes a hindrance to profession quality of life; ▪ Excess work leads to inability to meet market demand in specific areas (i.e. non-urban). Strategies: Focused awareness at mid-stage candidates ▪ Target technical staff; ▪ Provide scholarships for technical staff to encourage movement into the profession; ▪ Reduce articling period for technicians/technologists with work experience; ▪ Work closely with educational bodies; ▪ Promote Land Surveying from within University; ▪ Target Colleges to create program devoted to challenging Western Board of Exams; ▪ Encourage educational bodies to establish process for accrediting international graduates; ▪ Work with minority members to promote profession within educational bodies; ▪ Encourage increased investment into technology to achieve further efficiency gains; ▪ Work with industry to reduce administrative responsibilities; ▪ Work with industry to promote profession to aboriginal communities.


Existing State (2005) - 100% 352 352 0Future State (2010) 4% 122% 429 409 20



Demand Scenario #3: Economic Boom Model outcome (Gap Analysis):

– This scenario leads to an undersupply of 109 ALS (21% shortfall) Gap Analysis Sensitivity on Scenario:

Situation Possible Effect Result Entrants Wage increases due to demand Sensitivity: leads to heightened attraction: Say, 20 new ALS / year Gap = +84 Labour shortages continue leading to reduced entrants to profession Say, 10 new ALS / year Gap = +134 Retiree High work demand leads to fewer Sensitivity retirees than anticipated Say, 3 fewer retirees per year Gap = +94 Boomers reach retirement nest egg and retire in greater numbers Say, 3 more retirees per year Gap = +124

Risks ▪ Undersupply of labour increases daily demands on current ALS; ▪ Excess work gets directed to technical staff, increasing the inherent risks to ALS; ▪ Excess demand leads to reduced quality of work; ▪ Excess demand leads to inability to meet market demand (urban and non-urban areas); ▪ Inability to service demand leads to loosening of Alberta Land Surveyors Act to include non accredited

LS. Strategies: Focused awareness for short-term candidates ▪ Develop short-term attraction strategies such as:

o Working with industry to reduce surveyor’s administrative responsibilities; o Holding leading practice forums; promoting increased investment into technology in hopes of

efficiency gains; o Working with industry HR reps to identify and address ALS retention.

▪ Work closely with educational bodies: o Target Universities to promote Land Surveying from within; o Target Colleges to create program devoted to challenging Western Board of Exams; o To encourage recognition of international Graduates.

▪ Work with industry to increase wages for summer internships; ▪ Target technical staff:

o Provide scholarships for technical staff to encourage movement into the profession; o Reduce articling period for technicians/technologists with work experience.

▪ Work with industry to promote inter-provincially for graduates (target UNB).


Existing State (2005) - 100% 352 352 0Future State (2010) 8% 147% 518 409 109



Appendix 3 – Stakeholder Interview Summaries Post Secondary Institutions: Stakeholders were interviewed to investigate enrolment trends, student interests, and the changing role of Land Surveyors and Survey Technicians/Technologists in the profession. ▪ Program enrolment for each of the educational bodies interviewed is strong and is expected to grow. ▪ Most educational bodies are attempting to concentrate on student retention as opposed to growing the

number of spots available (i.e. ensuring that they attract the right kind of students such that a higher percentage of their entrants ultimately graduate).

▪ Enrolment in Land Surveying tends to increase with enrolment in the Engineering faculty. Enrolment in the faculty of engineering can generally be correlated to the economy. When economic times are good and work is plentiful, people tend to gravitate to the faculty.

▪ Geomatics students that enter the discipline do so because they are attracted to computers, technology, software, etc. Land Surveying is perceived to be an area where you work outdoors, often in remote areas. As a result, few students that choose to enter Geomatics will ultimately become Land Surveyors as it is perceived not to fit with their desire to work with computers.

▪ Most students that graduate from the program as Land Surveyors entered school knowing that this is what they wanted to do. Few students enter Geomatics and then make the choice to become a Land Surveyor.

▪ There is a common attraction among Geomatics students and Land Surveyors toward the multitude of options available in both these areas.

▪ Most Alberta based institutions rely on ALSA for profession awareness and promotion. Non-Alberta institutions tend to take a more pro-active approach.

▪ The role of Survey Technicians and Technologists in the workplace is growing as a result of a low supply of ALS. Interviewees indicated that this group has assumed greater responsibility in the workplace than they are trained to do. This presents a risk to the industry as these individuals are being asked to do things that they have not been properly trained to do. Ultimately, the risk may also be assumed by the Land Surveyor as they must sign off on the work that these individuals have done.

▪ Interviewees indicated there would be advantages to aligning the educational bodies with industry. Suggestions included the sharing of equipment and real industry data to ensure that students are educated on the latest tools and methods. Benefits may be realized in having better prepared students that are ready to contribute to their employers upon entry into the workforce.

▪ Most educational bodies felt that the Association does an admirable job of supporting the educational bodies and promoting the profession in general.

▪ Interviewees tend to profile their students as having an aptitude for the maths and sciences. They tend to enjoy the outdoors and be independent workers. At the same time they need to have the ability to work well in teams. They enjoy the technology associated with the profession and are also attracted to the pay scale that often accompanies the profession.

▪ There is a general ‘brain drain’ of students from non-Alberta based institutions to the hot Albertan economy.



Recent Graduates That Did Not Enter Land Surveying: Students were interviewed in order to discover what attracts them to Geomatics, and what challenges and barriers exist to pursuing Land Surveying. ▪ Students tend to enter Geomatics because of the technology, computers, and math/science content.

This is not necessarily aligned with Land Surveying, and as a result most students that were exposed to Land Surveying after entering Geomatics did not see it as a good fit.

▪ Most students that chose Land Surveying knew that this was where they would end up prior to entering Geomatics or even the Engineering faculty in general.

▪ Barriers to entering Land Surveying include: o Physical work – land surveying was viewed as a profession that required a significant amount of

physical work. As a result, some female students recognized this as a barrier for them to enter the profession. They felt they were not as predisposed to the profession as some of their male counterparts.

o Perceived ‘old boys network’ – the profession was viewed as some students as being a fairly homogeneous group. Land surveyors were perceived to be older, white males. While it was recognized that most these individuals were extremely accepting, some students that did not fit this profile felt a level of un-comfort and discounted the profession as a result.

o Travel – Land Surveying is perceived to be a profession where a large amount of travel is required. Many of the young students that did not enter Land Surveying expressed an interest in staying near the urban centers near their family. As a result, Geomatics appeared to be a better fit.

▪ Student perception is that there is a high demand for Land Surveyors, with career opportunities available. There was a general recognition among all students that the professions demographics may present students with an opportunity to fill a future demand void and that career advancement opportunities would likely be high.

▪ Other barriers that existed for students included the need to specialize electives for Land Surveying. Students that were still somewhat uncertain as to what they would like to do did not like the idea of having to use a majority of their electives toward one specific area.

▪ Demographics of the student population can also be a factor as graduates tend to be older now than in the past. As a result many graduates have family commitments (kids, wife, husband) and as a result are less comfortable with travel or work in non-urban areas.

▪ Many students indicated a lack of emphasis on Land Surveying from within the Geomatics discipline. Students were often given the impression of Land Surveying as a secondary option from the faculty members.

▪ There appears to be a disconnect between the educational requirements and practical work experience required to become an accredited ALS and the financial compensation that is ultimately received. Many students felt that it was a better investment of their time and efforts to enter other areas of engineering where a similar pay scale could be achieved.

▪ Suggestions for increasing awareness in the profession include: o Emphasize real world examples of interesting projects (industry examples); o Emphasis on the ‘toys’ associated with the profession (quads, trucks, etc); o Emphasize the entrepreneurial opportunities associated with the profession; and o Education on the typical career progression.



Current Articling Students: Students were interviewed in order to gain insight into typical ALS interests and their expectations of the profession. ▪ Most articling students were exposed to profession prior to entering school. Some of the mechanisms

for exposure included: o A family relative that worked in the profession; o A summer job working for an ALS or technician/technologist in the industry; and o Involvement in a construction job where surveyors were present.

▪ Articling students tended to express an interest in the outdoors. Most the students indicated they preferred to be out in the field doing the work as opposed to in front of a computer. However, most also indicated an interest in the sophisticated tools available to them. Other areas of the profession that interested them included the entrepreneurial aspect of profession, and the option to one day open up their own Surveying Company.

▪ Most students indicated they enjoy the options that are available to them. They are attracted to the fact that they can work in the field or in the office, and both options are available.

▪ Students indicated a perception that job prospects were excellent in this profession and that the demographics within the profession may serve to increase their possibilities. Many felt that a large number of retirees of the baby boomer generation would give them opportunities to move up the ‘corporate ladder’ quicker than they otherwise would. Many indicated that this factored into their choice to enter the profession.

▪ Few articling students expressed a concern over the loss of knowledge that may occur should a lot of baby boomers retire.

▪ There appeared to be a good mix of industry interests. Students that entered the Oil and Gas field enjoy the quantity of work that is available to them. As a result, they have the ability to work longer hours and make a higher salary. Other students indicated a desire to work in the municipal field where they are not subject to the high demands of the large oil or gas companies and able to balance their social lives with work lives better.

▪ Most students acknowledge desire to work in larger urban centers. ▪ Articling students that had previous experience in surveying (former tech’s) felt that the articling period

should be reduced in certain instances. This group felt that their previous experience was not properly recognized and in some instances this served as a barrier for technicians / technologists that were considering making the transition into Land Surveying.

▪ Some students felt that ALSA could play a larger role in ensuring that the quality of the work experience and principles is intact (i.e. more regular visits and checkpoints with students and/or mentors).

▪ Suggested approaches for attracting additional students into the program included: o Visit High Schools and display the toys that are involved with the profession; o Inform High School and even Jr. High students of the profession and the requirements to enter it.

Students will need to have certain course in place in order to enter (i.e. Math 31); o Increase wages to improve attractiveness of profession relative to trades; and o Distinguish Land Surveying from Geomatics as a separate profession choice.

▪ Other suggested improvements for ALSA to improve the articling student process include: o Somehow address the fact that the majority of articling students are unable to attend a number of

seminars that they would otherwise like to; o Provide a seminar targeted to principles on how to improve the articling student experience; and o Monitor more closely the experience of articling students.



ALSA Members At Large: Members were interviewed in order to assess current and future demand for ALS, as well as the professions’ long-term viability. ▪ Demand for ALS services is currently high. Market indications of high demand include:

o High graduation employment rates (appears to be 100%); o Extremely competitive market for active ALS; and o High work load for current ALS in marketplace.

▪ Demand appears poised for continued growth. Demand for ALS services tends to ebb and flow with the economy in general. The provincial economy has been hot as of late and as a result, demand for ALS has reflected this. Members anticipate the economy to continue along its strong growth pattern and therefore the demand for land surveying to increase along with it.

▪ The core purpose boundary data gathering still remains. However, technology gains in the equipment we use have enabled surveyors to become more efficient at gathering and processing this data.

▪ Technology gains have not led to a proportionately large increase in the volume of work that members are able to produce for their clients for the following two main reasons: o Client expectations have increased with efficiency gains. Clients recognize that technology has

enabled members to obtain more data with the same resources and have accordingly increased their expectations of the volume of work they produce. Members are no further ahead; and

o Administrative duties associated with safety requirements, personnel management and other owner/operator issues have also served to increase the demands on member’s time, reducing the hours they are able to spend on the core competencies.

▪ The profession suffers from a ‘lack of visibility’. This is the nature of the profession (i.e. If an ALS is doing their job properly then you shouldn’t notice them).

▪ Senior members of the association emphasize the importance of the Alberta Land Surveyors Act and the protection thereof. Members have indicated the danger in being unable to meet the market demand for their services is that the government may decide to open up the Alberta Land Surveyors Act to other members of the engineering profession to do the work we are currently legislated to do. ALSA’s role is to protect and advocate for this legislation that protects our livelihood.

▪ Impending retirees have indicated a likelihood of ‘phasing out of the profession’ (i.e. choosing to delay full retirement and instead slowly exit the profession by working part time past their typical retirement age). Factors contributing to this phenomenon include: o A hot economy where their services are continually in demand; o Most impending retirees are earning the highest salaries of their career; o Succession issues (in cases of company ownership) where members may need to ensure the

proper channels are in place before they are able to harvest their investment and exit; and o Altruistic attitudes where members recognize that a ‘knowledge gap’ may exist between

themselves and the next generation. These members feel the need to stay on and transfer some of this key knowledge in the best interests of the profession.

▪ The new generation is perceived to be better educated on the business side of the profession, but lacking in terms of practical field knowledge.



Survey Corporation Representatives: Survey corporation representatives were interviewed in order to assess demographic issues faced by the corporations and to discuss their attempts to mitigate its effects. ▪ We are seeing increased competitiveness for ALS in marketplace. Demand for Land Surveyors

services tends to increase and decrease with the general economy in the province. Over the last number of years, we have seen the economy grow at an accelerated pace, and as a result the demand for Land Surveying and for ALS is high.

▪ Recruitment for ALS has been increasing in difficulty and appears that it will continue to be tough into the future.

▪ The demographic issues facing the profession are more likely to impact small, non Oil & Gas related companies in non-urban centers. These are the areas where we are currently having difficulty attracting young ALS and this are the areas that will be impacted the most by a shortage of supply.

▪ There is a need to transfer practical knowledge from retirees to successors. In addition to losing a large volume of ALS (should a large number of baby boomers retire within 10 years), there would also be a large amount of practical work knowledge that would leave with them. Survey company representatives indicated that this gap of knowledge will need to be passed on to the younger generation to ensure a smooth transition for the companies.

▪ Technicians and technologists have seen an increased role in the workplace because of the high demand on the surveying profession. Employers see this as a risk, as tech’s are being asked to complete tasks that they have not been properly trained for.

▪ Less technicians/technologists appear to be making the transition to accredited Land Surveyor. Reasons cited for this trend include: o Lifestyle changes - tech’s today have place a higher priority on family and friends, indicating the

time required to make the transition would put too high a strain on their social quality of life; o Little financial compensation – while the academic requirements for technicians and technologists

to become accredited land surveyors remains the same as in the past, the additional financial compensation that accompanies the transition has been reduced. This can be accredited to recent increases in salaries for crew chiefs and a high demand for their services.

▪ Generational attitude differences will contribute to a supply shortage. Younger generation land surveyors appear to be less willing to work long hours or in remote locations, relative to the older generation of ALS. This will contribute to a supply shortage as a scarcity in numbers may also be compounded by new workers unable to complete the same volume of work that their predecessors would.

▪ Traditionally, most survey companies have hired their employees on a reactive basis. Companies tend to look for ALS once they have determined that there is excess demand relative to their supply of surveyors.

▪ Intrusion in the profession remains a threat. The insurance industry’s entrance into the land title industry serves as an important example of the effect this could have on the profession.

▪ In some cases, quality of work has been an issue. Because demand remains high, the market has not been successful in weeding out the group of professionals performing low quality of work. Rather, this group has served to lower the average charge out rates and keep professional wages artificially low. Ultimately, this will make our profession less attractive to young bright students.

▪ Companies are already beginning to employ innovative methods for attracting recent graduates. Some methods utilized include: o Financial aid for employees to attend university in order to receive their commission; o Cross-provincial recruitment (primarily at UNB), including career fairs, lectures, etc.; o Increased wages or other non-financial incentives (car allowances, etc); o Offering increased flexibility in work hours and location; and o Providing aid for students to make the move from other provinces.

Documents

ALSA Current State Assessment DRAFT V2 - ABCLS · Current State Assessment | Draft Report | ALSA Page 3 1.3 Methodology Project methodology was developed to enable a thorough assessment