Page 26 - Surveyor 50.2 2015

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The Malaysian Surveyor
of the company. Some researchers also
revealed that skills about management
are important and required by employers
which further refer to self-management
and time management (The Conference
Board of Canada 1996; SCANS 2001;
Kearns 2001; Lee 2003). However,
Mohamad Sattar (2009), also included
material and facilities management, risk
management and financial management
under resource skills.
2.3.5 Basic Skills
The fifth employability skills considered
as most required by employers are basic
skills, which refer to the skills needed as a The methods employed cover a range
base for future evolution (The Conference
Board of Canada, 1996). For example,
basic skills included listening, reading,
writing, speaking, mathematics and
arithmetic which are considered as the
most basic things required by employers
(Mohamad Sattar, 2009).
2.3.6 Personal Quality Skills
The sixth employability skills considered as
most required by employers are personal
qualities skills, which essentially refer to
general personal skills, behaviours and
natural processes that drive a person to
grow their potential (The Conference Board
of Canada, 1996). This skill is thus related
to integrity & honesty, important attributes
for employees (The Conference Board
of Canada 1996; SCANS 2001; Kearns
2001). Furthermore, personal quality skills
also relate to confidence of employees in
order to survive in the industry as required
by employers (The Conference Board of
Canada 1996; SCANS 2001; Kearns 2001).
2.3.7 Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) Skills
The seventh employability skills considered
as most required by employers are
Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) Skills (The Conference
Board of Canada 1996; SCANS 2001;
Kearns 2001; Ab Rahim and Ivan 2007).
In terms of information and Technology
(ICT) skills, the employees should be able
to choose technology that is suitable
for work, understanding the system,
using technologies while working, fixing
tools, observation and improving the
implementation processes (Mohamad
Sattar, 2009).
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2.4 Quantity Surveying
Profession
Quantity Surveying is considered a well-
developed and established profession, and
Quantity Surveyors are highly respected
professionals in the building industry with
the ability to analyse cost components
as well as provide contractual advice
on practical issues related construction
project. Quantity Surveyors are those
who manage and control costs within
construction projects, which may involve
the use of management procedures
and technical tools to achieve this goal.
of activities such as cost planning,
value engineering, feasibility studies,
cost benefits analysis, life cycle costing,
valuation and cost estimation. A quantity
surveyor is sometimes also known as
construction economist, cost engineer or
construction manager. Quantity Surveyors
control costs and prices of work, labour,
materials and plant required, and possess
an understanding of the implications of
design decision at an early stage to ensure
that best value is obtained for the money to knowledge, skills and personal, social and /
be expended. Quantity surveyors will also
prepare tender document in accordance
with a published standard method of
measurement as agreed to by the various
quantity surveying professional bodies
and representatives of the construction
industry.
The Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors (RICS) has set a time-frame
that for professional Quantity Surveyors,
at least three years training are needed.
The Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia
(BQSM) reported through the latest
statistics the percentage of graduate
Quantity Surveyors in the country is
49.50% (1363), followed by registered
Quantity Surveyors at 38.20% (1051) with
Quantity Surveying practices at 12.30%
(339). The roles of the Quantity Surveyor
can be classified into two. Ashworth &
Hogg (2007) mentioned that Quantity
Surveyors can be Consultant Quantity
Surveyor and Contractor Quantity
Surveyor. A Consultant Quantity Surveyor
is focused on construction cost and
value management (Canadian Institute
of Quantity Surveyor’s, 2002). Basically,
the services of Consultant Quantity
Surveyor are concerned with construction
contracts and to give advice on what a
project would cost (QS Professionals,
2013). Quantity Surveyors will be working
on behalf of clients to negotiate the rates
with contractors, and valuing the works
involved.
Additionally, according to Ashworth
and Hogg (2007) Contractor Quantity
Surveyors are the persons employed by
contractors because of the need to engage
and control contractors’ financial and
commercial interests and assist them in
more controversial areas of the contract.
Contractor Quantity Surveyors could also
be engaged in issues relating to costs and
appraisals from the perspectives of the
contractors, and negotiating issues related
to measurements with the client’s quantity
surveyor on the project.
2.5 Skills of Quantity Surveyor
According to Michael H.W Hoffmann
et al (2010), skills mean the ability to
employ knowledge and apply knowledge
to complete projects and figure out the
problem. He also stated that competences
mean the demonstrated ability to apply
or methodological abilities, in a line of work
or study situations and in professional and
personal growth.
Quantity Surveyors require the basic
skills known as skills for employability
to enable them to provide the various
services of a Quantity Surveyor effectively.
Basically, the common competencies
or skills of Quantity Surveyor required in
the construction industry are technical
skills which include measurements and
valuation, giving cost advices, estimating
cost and cost control, communication,
interpersonal, leadership, and problem
solving skills (BQSM, 2012).
In addition, there are three categories of
competencies required for the quantity
surveyor (RICS, 1998) which are basic
competencies, core competencies
and optional competencies. The basic
competencies cover all construction
professionals under the Royal Institution
of Chartered Surveyors structure; the
core competencies are uniquely required
of quantity surveyor while the optional
competencies are areas of specialisation
for future career diversification (Nkado,
2000).