Want to change the world? Interested in people, places and sustainability? Choose an apprenticeship in town planning!
Planners organise, design and make decisions on where new homes, roads, schools, shops and all the other things we need to live and work should be built. It is a job at the heart of discussions with local communities, businesses and politicians to make towns, cities and the countryside attractive, safe and environment friendly. Find out more at www.rtpi.org.uk/becomeaplanner
Learning on the job
The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) is the professional body that regulates town planners. There are town planning courses across the country. Providers are developing a new degree apprenticeship to start in September 2019, and a level 3 town planning technical support programme is available at colleges, including chichester.ac.uk
Register for the new RTPI degree apprenticeship
Register your interest via careers@rtpi.org.uk
Taking three to six years depending on your qualifications, this is the fast-track way to become a town planning professional, paid for by an employer.
This programme will combine the highest professional qualification with work-based learning. Successful apprentices will automatically be registered as chartered town planners at the end of the course. You will be working alongside architects and engineers to create plans and make places more sustainable. You can find all professionally accredited courses on the RTPI’s website at www.rtpi.org.uk/findacourse
RTPI technical apprenticeship
This introductory scheme opens up membership of the RTPI and is a good route for school leavers to get into the planning profession but also opens up progression for existing staff. It lasts for two to three years with college-based lectures as well as workplace visits and assessments. Once you have gained the diploma, you could continue training at university. It offers an alternative route for people to get into the town planning profession and the skills learnt are transferable for a number of roles in the building industry.
[blockquote style=”2″]So far through this apprenticeship I have been given the chance to rotate around different departments to gain vital hands-on experience over two years. I get to work on different and exciting projects including the preparation of a new local plan to guide where changes to the local area should be made in the future, which I have found both interesting and enjoyable. The Council will sponsor me to complete an RTPI-accredited undergraduate degree to work towards my aim to become a planning officer – Katie, 2018 apprentice graduate[/blockquote]
