A world without Surveyors? #GetKidsintoSurvey

Too many good people are retiring or leaving, and too few are seeing it as a viable career choice. But one woman is on a mission to change that.

With a ‘hook ‘em while they’re young’ mentality, Elaine Ball has been working with some of the top names in the business to inspire the offshore workers of the future.

“The common problem I found was that people just don’t understand the industry,” she said. “It’s essential to break down that barrier, allow people to understand what the survey world is all about and get them hyped up as a student so that this is a job they can get excited about and work towards – not just fall into.”

A marketer by profession, Ball has been running a campaign since November 2017, based largely on posters aimed at kids aged 8 to 12, and their parents which can introduce them to what she calls the “magical world of survey.”

Her passion comes from her roots. “Dad is a mine surveyor and hydrographer. He has worked all over the world, doing seismic control, and land and sea survey. If you look at it in comparison to a lot of other jobs you can do, this is pretty interesting and adventurous. We used to have a family business that developed laser measurement devices to improve safety during onload/offloads between vessels and rigs. So, you could say survey is in our blood and it certainly inspired his children – me, and my sister and brother are also in the industry.”

Ball understood that without action, the massive skills shortages were going to be catastrophic for the industry to deal with – and with her expertise as a Geospatial marketer, that little to nothing was being done by it to address it.

“The industry isn’t naturally drawn to marketing. Like most technical worlds, they don’t think there is much value in it. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Survey competes against a huge range of better known professions – and it’s on us to let young people and the people who influence their career choices understand what we can offer.

“This is a very technical industry, it’s not so creative and the people who do these jobs tend not to be so accessible. It’s not like you can easily pick up a week’s work experience like you can in a solicitor’s office – but I guarantee you, it’d be a lot more fun!

“I’ve been working on this for this since Nov 2017, it’s gratifying to see it coming together. Its literally exploded and sent me round the world several times! I’m pleased to have the support of big-name manufacturers like Trimble, Topcon and Leica to name a few.  Plus the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) in North America are now our official distributor for that region!”

The hook ‘em young strategy demands a greater understanding about a subject universally. If the student comes home from school asking about being a hydrographic surveyor but Mum and Dad don’t know what on earth this is – the idea is more likely to be rebuffed in favour of something better understood.

“Industry typically doesn’t reach out. Because of that inaccessibility, schools find it hard to understand, let alone educate people on these industries,” says Ball, with clear frustration. “People don’t know what they don’t know – and if you don’t know what a surveyor does, you’re not going to be able to sell it to anyone.”

The campaign started with a few hundred posters, but once shared on socials, there were massive requests coming in for posters globally. Ball has received thousands now. “I think it’s been so successful because it taps into people’s emotions. They show real-life scenarios.” One example has a surveyor being chased by a bull. “Surveyors laughed as this is what sometimes does happen. Surveyors are really passionate about their jobs, so this is what connects them to posters.”

The end-goal is to raise the standards within the industry globally by giving surveyors through to manufacturers a dedicated resource for business, sales, marketing and strategic communication, and to encourage and excite the next generation of surveyors.

They will be launching a dedicated #GetKidsintoSurvey Community Hub in 2019 and have a huge focus on education so teachers can use the content they produce. 

For now, you can follow #GetKidsintoSurvey on:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-kids-into-survey/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getkidsintosurvey/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/get_kids_into_survey/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GetKidsintoSurv

Website: www.getkidsintosurvey.com

Sponsorship opportunities: https://www.elaineball.co.uk/sponsorship-opportunities-get-kids-into-survey/

But watch this space: Ball is in talks with toy makers to deliver a range of items designed for young people. Bob the Builder really took off – who is to say Prof. Topo and Geo Ginger can’t be the next big thing?!