Two west Wales women are blazing the trail for a new generation of professionals as part of the first course of its kind for Wales in the past 20 years.
Abi Blackburn, 20, from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, and Elan Thomas, also 20, from, Meidrim, Carmarthenshire, are part of the first cohort of students to study for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) accredited Real Estate Degree Apprenticeship, which was launched last autumn at the University of South Wales (USW).
The last real estate focused RICS-accredited course to be run in Wales was offered by the University of Glamorgan, which is now USW, and ceased operating in the early 2000s.
For Abi and Elan, being part of the course is helping them to build a bridge between their rural roots and professional ambitions, efforts which are supported by their employer, west Wales-based Rees Richards and Partners, which specialises in chartered surveying, property valuation and sales, along with estate management.
After completing A-levels and the Welsh Baccalaureate, Abi took up a job in retail before securing a role at Rees Richards and Partners in 2023, focusing on the property side of the business, handling viewings, tenant relations, and property preparation.
It was a role Abi says gave her the chance to follow her ambitions.
“There were a lot of opportunities to build a career in this role, which is something I was really inspired by,” she said.
Elan took a more varied route to her degree apprenticeship. Having grown up on a dairy farm and being part of the west Wales agricultural community, she initially started a degree, but then paused her study to work on farms in New Zealand and go travelling.
After returning to the UK, she decided to pursue a more hands-on, career-oriented pathway, taking up a role in rural surveying with Rees Richards and Partners. Working in this role, alongside studying, gives her the perfect mix.
“I didn’t really enjoy university life when I was doing a full-time degree, sitting in a classroom for five days a week wasn’t for me,” Elan said.
“After returning from New Zealand I thought I wouldn’t have a chance to do surveying because I’d dropped out of my degree. But my dad encouraged me to look for a job outside the farm and saw the advert for the surveyor role at Rees Richards, which included the degree apprenticeship, so I was delighted that I could carry in studying on a course that was connected to the job I would be doing.”
For both Abi and Elen, the partnership between USW and their employer allows them to stay rooted in their home communities while also getting valuable real-world experience of their profession, which complements their formal education.
When they have completed their degree apprenticeships, both are planning to add the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) from RICS to their list of accomplishments.
For both women, the course also allows them to contribute to their local community, and be a key member of the younger generation that is committed to the sustainability and growth of rural industries.
“I always wanted to do a degree but wasn’t 100% keen on moving away from home, and I didn’t realise until I started my job with Rees Richards and Partners that I could do the degree apprenticeship,” Abi said.
“But I think I made the right decision, as this has given me a unique opportunity to progress in my career while learning valuable skills I can apply directly to my work.”
Elan added:
“Having the chance to stay in my community, work in a role that aligns with my agricultural background, and learn on the job, makes this apprenticeship pathway ideal for me.
“It’s also great that there are people in the business who are experienced in a variety of roles relevant to our study and can also help us while we are in the work environment.”
Shane Galvin, who runs the course at USW, said:
“The success of students like Abi and Elan demonstrates the value of degree apprenticeships in connecting educational goals with hands-on professional growth, allowing our students to excel in their careers while contributing to their communities.
“It’s also great to see them being part of the resurrected Real Estate student community in Wales, which had been dormant following the closure of the old course in the early 2000s, and showing how important the profession is to the economy and community in many areas across Wales.”
Dylan Williams, Partner at Ress Richards, said:
“As a firm we take great pride in the key role we play in the future of real estate, and the offer of the degree apprenticeship has enabled us to attract some of west Wales’ finest young talent.
“It is a great pleasure to see Abi and Elan progress in their studies whilst also becoming key parts of the Rees Richards family.”
A spokesperson for RICS said:
“The RICS Wales Board is delighted to have such a strong bond with USW, especially through the recently introduced RICS-accredited courses.
“Through our ongoing involvement with USW, we want to see more students taking up Degree Apprenticeships or joining the Network75 scheme, and hope that we can use our influence to encourage more employers to provide opportunities for apprentices.”
