Colleges join The Survey Association for ‘Teach the Teacher’
TSA Council held a series of Vision Days in 2022 and one of the key aims that was agreed to focus on was the vision that, ‘every young person should know about land surveying as a career’. Allied to The Survey Association’s investment in the creation of the Geospatial Apprenticeships, The Survey School has a well-deserved reputation for survey teaching, so it made sense to open this up to tutors and teachers across the UK who are delivering this apprenticeship.
The ‘Teach the Teacher’ initiative is fostering a valuable exchange, of both theoretical knowledge and practical techniques, by offering survey training to tutors at colleges across the UK offering the Level 3 Geospatial Survey Technician Apprenticeship.
Last week, tutors and lecturers from Riverside and Dudley Colleges were welcomed at The Survey School in Worcester to take part in TSA-funded levelling and total station courses.
By collaborating with the experienced surveying professionals and tutors at the school, lecturers discovered practical, real world applications of some fundamental surveying techniques and hands-on skills to enhance the delivery of their curriculum.
There are, of course, also the added benefits of networking opportunities, as attendees will have the chance to connect with like-minded professionals from colleges across the country.
Alan Mansell, Manager of The Survey School, said, “As we look forward to hosting other colleges later this year, the opportunity to work with tutors from different institutions promises a more cohesive collective effort towards advancing surveying education and enabling a consistent approach across the apprenticeship training providers.”
Katie Holt, Business Development Manager of TSA, added, “For The Survey Association, we believe the apprenticeship will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the profession and attracting new talent into the geospatial surveying profession.”
To find out more, please contact Katie Holt at katie@tsa-uk.org.uk.
A former land surveyor, trainer and tech support expert has been appointed as a new tutor at The Survey School. Adam Ball has joined the staff team at The Survey School, based in Worcester, which provides practical survey training via the two year TSA Surveying Course and a range of short courses.
Adam worked as a land surveyor for 15 years at a variety of survey companies around the UK, mainly carrying out topographical measured surveys. Starting off as a Survey Assistant and working his way up to Senior Surveyor, he specialised in GNSS control networks and undertook a lot of work for the Environment Agency. He was then appointed as a trainer and tech support for Leica Geosystems, where he worked for the next 15 years across the UK and Ireland.
Adam says,
“Now I’m at The Survey School, I’m finding it really interesting to see what is on the syllabus and how it is being taught in order to ensure the TSA Surveying Course is able to keep abreast of advancing technology in the profession. For example, we are currently introducing more emphasis on terrestrial laser scanning as it is an increasingly important part of modern survey methodology.
“It is good to see such a range of different experiences and backgrounds of students attending the surveying course at The Survey School and the progression of past students is very impressive too.”
Commenting on Adam’s appointment as tutor, Manager at The Survey School, Alan Mansell, says,
“Adam’s experience, both as a land surveyor and as a technical expert, means he is ideally placed to deliver exactly what students attending The Survey School need – a perfect combination of professional expertise and real lived experience. We are delighted to have Adam on board as part of our team.”
The Survey School is home to the TSA Surveying Course and is the UK’s only commercial training centre that provides training to the land survey profession which is accredited by The Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES).