Jones Hargreaves expands graduate programme

National commercial building, project and sustainability consultancy Jones Hargreaves has welcomed eight graduates onto its training programme, marking its largest intake to date.

The cohort comprises new recruits Jack Lewis, Abigail Colling, Johnnie Binner and Tom Wheeler, alongside Benjamin Bilsborough, Dylan Ford and Max Booth, who have already spent time working with the business.

Michael Clements, an existing member of the consultancy’s ESG team, has also joined the programme.

Abigail, who worked for five years before starting university, having wanted to be sure she had chosen the right subject and career path, said: “I graduated this summer and it’s been amazing to have a good level of autonomy, while always having a colleague supporting me, from the moment I joined Jones Hargreaves. 

“I’m looking forward to working towards my chartered building surveyor qualification.

“I think there is still a need to myth-bust about what building surveying actually involves, so that more people, particularly women, can see what an interesting and varied career it can be.

“It’s exciting to be able to see projects from start to finish and play a part in such a breadth of work. 

“No two days are the same, and I’m learning so much from the senior team every day; helping me to develop and excel in my work.”

All eight will combine practical experience alongside qualified colleagues with structured training as they work towards becoming chartered building surveyors.

The graduates have completed their first training day at Jones Hargreaves’ Bristol office, with further professional development planned as they progress towards qualification.

The expanded programme comes amid concerns about skills shortages across the surveying profession.

According to the RICS Surveying Skills Report 2025, 87 per cent of respondents said the skills gap was affecting the industry, with 27 per cent describing its impact as critical.

Founded by Matthew Jones and Peter Hargreaves, the consultancy provides building surveying, project management, sustainability and engineering services across commercial property sectors including industrial, office and retail.

Matthew added: “We’ve grown Jones Hargreaves in recent years by delivering high-quality work across the UK, supported by a strong and experienced senior team.

“As the business has grown, we’ve reached a point where we have a solid foundation of people who can support and guide graduates through the qualification process. 

“That has given us the opportunity to expand our graduate programme and play our part in bringing more people into the profession.

“Becoming a chartered building surveyor is a significant commitment, so it’s important that we make the profession accessible to people from a wide range of backgrounds and give them the support and practical experience they need to build a career.

“We’ve been working with several universities to strengthen the connection between education and work, and being able to offer permanent career opportunities to people who could become the leaders of tomorrow is an incredibly exciting step for us.”

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