It’s well-known within the built environment that the UK is short on town planners, particularly decision makers within Local Government. Joanna Averley (Chief Planner for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) commented on this very subject at the TCPA’s November 2022 conference.
A little gloomy? Well, I’m hopeful that the most recent initiative by the Royal Town Planning Institute to help drive recruitment within town planning, in the form of a Level 4 Town Planning Assistant Apprenticeship, will go some way to combat this issue.
In truth, the first time I became aware of the industry was back in 2017 when I interviewed at Indigo Planning. I had no idea what town planning was or the type of work that was involved – lots of research was undertaken prior to my interview! Once I’d started at Indigo, I quickly came to realise that the subject is a lot more complex than it first seems.
There are so many nuances, avenues and subjects to explore and I was keen to progress my knowledge. This led to me wanting to take the necessary steps to become a planner however, without a degree, it proved almost impossible.
Fast forward five and a half years and I am nearly halfway through the apprenticeship with the help of my current employer, Barker Parry Town Planning Ltd. The company knew that I was hoping to change careers from administration to planning and, less than a year into my employment, were made aware of the inaugural Town Planning Assistant Apprenticeship hosted by Chichester College. I was delighted at the possibility of being part of the first cohort of students on this course, even if the idea of studying whilst working was slightly daunting.
For anyone interested in planning and thinking about a change in career, or for those already working within the industry looking for professional accreditation, I cannot recommend this apprenticeship highly enough. Not having a degree or other higher-level qualification won’t be a barrier either as this is not needed to take part.
Of course, as with any new venture, there have been some hiccups and teething problems but these haven’t outweighed the huge benefits that have come with participating. We’re roughly halfway through the course and time has flown. The wide-ranging topics and knowledgeable lecturers have kept everyone engaged – even through the “dry” subjects!
My confidence has grown and I have been able to use the information and skills learnt on the apprenticeship in my day-to-day role, allowing me to improve my knowledge and understanding of planning to help my colleagues in ways that I wouldn’t have been able to before. Weekly lectures are delivered online but I personally look forward to the tri-monthly block weeks in Chichester. There are positives to online learning; after all, it has allowed me to take part in the apprenticeship but nothing beats face-to-face teaching and interaction with my peers.
I’ve slowly come to realise that no one will ever know everything about town planning, however I see this as a plus – there is always something new to learn and challenges to overcome. This apprenticeship is just the beginning of an exciting future which will allow me, and other planning enthusiasts, to contribute in a meaningful way to the places and communities in which we live.
