Pathways to Planning Programme - Graduate Trainee Planner

Pathways to Planning is a new graduate programme which aims to discover graduates from all degree backgrounds with a passion for helping to design and sustain built and natural environments to become local government planners.

What is the role?

Employed on a three year fixed-term contract, you will work for a council and gain varied work experience across different specialties within planning departments. You will be mentored by more senior members of staff within the planning department and supported through an introduction to planning course provided by the Pathways to Planning team.

In September 2024, graduates will start a fully funded Master’s course in planning with the support of their employing council. Once graduates have finished their postgraduate study, they are on track to become fully accredited planners and then able to progress into more senior roles. Council planning teams have excellent career progression routes, and a vested interest in seeing their Pathways graduates succeed.

Where will I be based?

The scheme will work with more than 20 local councils in England who will hire graduates as part of the programme and support their career development as accredited planning professionals, these include:

North East

• Newcastle City Council

North West

• St. Helens Council
• Trafford Council
• Wirral Council

Yorkshire and Humber

• East Riding of Yorkshire Council
• North Lincolnshire Council
• Sheffield City Council

East Midlands

• Nottingham City Council

West Midlands

• Lichfield District Council
• Telford & Wrekin Council

East of England

• Dacorum Borough Council
• Hertfordshire County Council and Stevenage Borough Council
• Norwich City Council

London

• London Borough of Barnet
• London Borough of Haringey
• London Boroughs of Richmond and Wandsworth
• Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

South East

• Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
• East Sussex County Council

South West

• Bristol City Council
• Wiltshire Council

Why should you apply?

• MA or MSc in Planning (fully funded, study part-time over two years)
• £26,000 minimum salary (plus inner/outer London weighting if applicable)
• Good annual leave allowance
• Flexible working arrangements
• Mentoring
• Paid time off work to study

How do you apply?

Pathways to Planning recruits graduates from all backgrounds, universities and degree disciplines, this programme is open to graduates from all degree backgrounds with a 2.1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) by 31 March 2024.

Applications are now open, click Apply Now below!