COMMITTEE REMODELLING BERNADETTE MORRISSEY WAS ELECTED CHAIR OF SCSI NEXUS IN 2020, AND TALKS ABOUT HER WORK WITH THE COMMITTEE AND HER OWN PROFESSIONAL CAREER.
B
ernadette’s eye fell on surveying
secondary career choice. They might have
after originally doing a degree in
started out doing something else and then
commerce.
a
moved into surveying. Professionals at the early
master’s in quantity surveying in the UK, she
Following
stage of their career might not be young. From
started working in London for J. Murphy and
a within the profession point of view, we feel the
Sons in the company’s tunnels division, which
Nexus committee is the stepping stone for
involved working on the Crossrail project’s C310
professionals at the early stages of their career
tunnel, an extension to a London Underground
into the SCSI”.
tunnel.
The committee is known for holding many
Since moving home, she has worked for PJ
social events. Although these could not take
Bernadette Morrissey originally completed a
Hegarty and Sons and says a typical workday
place during the pandemic, Bernadette and
degree in commerce before pursuing a
involves interacting with the site team: “The
Nexus have kept themselves busy: “We
career as a quantity surveyor.
project managers, the engineers, interacting
contribute to SCSI initiatives, such as our
with the client team, again quantity surveyors,
mental health awareness survey. We’re going
engineers, project managers. I would spend a
to be starting a surveyors’ competition called
Equality
good amount of my time dealing with
Innovation for our Future in the summer. We
Bernadette would like to see Nexus continue
subcontractors”.
are in the process of developing a Transition
and do more in its work in encouraging
Year booklet to encourage secondary school
students into surveying, especially women: “We
SCSI Nexus
students to take up surveying as a profession.
have an active part to play in speaking to
Bernadette served as Chair of SCSI Nexus from
Within that we are trying to promote equality
schools and representing ourselves at events
August 2020 to June 2021. Formerly known as
and diversity by publishing photos of male and
that will encourage teenagers and kids to see
the YSCSI, the committee changed its name to
female surveyors doing their day-to-day work”.
that surveying is a profession they might be
better reflect the cohort of people entering
The work of Bernadette and Nexus has been
interested in. I like to think myself that if you
surveying. Having originally trained in another
more formal during this period, but no less
can see it, you can be it, so particularly from a
field, Bernadette knows that new surveyors do
important: “It has been a very different year for
young
not all come into the profession at 21 or 22
the committee in that we’ve focused on more
passionate about equality and diversity, and
years of age: “Typically, what you find a lot with
paper-based SCSI contributions, which has
encouraging more females into the industry”.
surveying is that people might get into it as a
been a positive thing for the committee, in that
Bernadette has plans to engage different kinds
our reputation now extends beyond social
of media to show women in the surveying
SURVEYOR PROFILE
activities and we hope that we’re able to
workplace: “Hopefully in the future, we can put
contribute to the SCSI in a more formal way, as
some short videos together to give a snapshot of
Colm Quinn Journalist and Sub-Editor, Think Media
well as getting back to social activities when
say, Bernie who’s a QS, or Susan who’s a property
normality resumes”.
surveyor, or Jennifer who’s a building surveyor”.
female
perspective,
I’d
be
SURVEYORS JOURNAL Volume 11, Issue 2, Summer 2021
very
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