Town Planning Apprentice
Apprenticeship, Full Time
£10,187 per annum, rising to at least £33,806 per annum in final year of Apprenticeship
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Location: Remote WorkingWorking Style: Anywhere worker
Closing Date: 4th July 2023
Are you looking for a career in a profession that has one of the highest employability ratings? Are you interested in improving and shaping the places we live in? Town planning is a profession that decides how land should be best used or protected, sustainably. This role is an opportunity to combine paid work with study to achieve the professional recognition and status as a Chartered Town Planner.
Benefits:
- Study towards a Level 7 Chartered Town Planner (Degree) Apprenticeship with London Southbank University.
- This role is offered with clear career progression including yearly salary increases reaching at least £33,806 per annum in year 6 of the Apprenticeship.
- Healthy work life balance; flexible and hybrid working options.
- Wide range of learning and development opportunities.
- IT equipment and home-working equipment supplied.
- 26 days annual leave + bank holidays + choice to buy extra.
- Generous Local Government Salary related pension scheme.
- Access to hundreds of discounts and benefits through Essex Rewards.
- Access to our health and wellbeing support platform with LifeWorks.
- Up to 4 days per year volunteering leave.
- Disability Confident Leader: we are committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job.
The Role:
Planning has a vital role to play in securing the long-term well-being of our communities within Essex through the delivery of sustainable development. The County Council’s Planning Service is a professional service providing high quality output in a highly technical field of planning delivering the County Council’s statutory regulatory planning function for Minerals, Waste and the County Council’s own development. As a strategic planning authority, we also support the ten local authorities within Essex as place-makers by enabling them to facilitate sustainable growth by supporting Housing Delivery, job creation and investment and infrastructure.
About the Apprenticeship:
This Apprenticeship programme provides on the job training and a highly competitive study support package at the end of which the Apprentice will achieve the Chartered Town Planner (Degree) Apprenticeship as appropriate to this role. Level 7 Apprenticeships are nationally recognised as approximately equivalent to a postgraduate qualification.
The Apprenticeship provides the opportunity to develop the experience, skills, knowledge and behaviours required to satisfactorily complete the Apprenticeship named above. As a Planning Apprentice, you will provide support working across all four service areas including Development Management, Infrastructure Planning, Growth and Development, Development Plans and Policy and Monitoring together with development of the back-office systems and management of the associated data sets.
The role will require successful 5-year study of a Level 7 Chartered Town Planner Apprenticeship and include an end of study assessment. Upon completion of the qualification, you will become a licentiate member of the Royal Town Planning Institute . The course will start in September/October 2023.
As a Planning Apprentice can expect to be involved in a variety of projects that will enable you to:
- Understand how to implement organisation strategy and plans.
- Understand how a project moves through planning, design, development, deployment and evaluation.
- Develop an awareness of business, client and end user needs throughout the project or programme.
- Build an awareness of interpersonal and communication skills.
- The apprenticeship is fully supported by Essex County Council and an official government approved training provider throughout the duration of the programme.
What our apprentices say:
“I really enjoyed my apprenticeship with ECC, I loved that the majority of the apprenticeship is on the job learning and minimal classroom work. The opportunities for career development have been much wider than I originally thought, and the apprenticeship is such a great way to start your career and get your foot in the door with your local council/ government”
"The team I work with are very supportive and everybody is happy to help and answer questions. They will rally together to give you the correct information, whether it be for an assignment for my apprenticeship or something on the job"
What will you be doing?
To work in alignment with the Chartered Town Planner (Degree) apprenticeship standard, you will:
- Work flexibly across the Planning Service to provide support where required.
- Supporting the Planning Service through the provision of a co-ordinated technical monitoring and business information service, reviewing strategies, policies and delivery mechanisms in order to improve planning, business and operating processes.
- To assist in the production of Development Plans, including supporting the collection and production of evidence bases as required.
- Support the development, maintenance, and review of computer databases which facilitate a range of planning tasks.
- Assist in producing illustrations and other graphics for documents, reports and exhibitions using GIS and other technology as appropriate.
- Assist with or deal directly with (minor) planning applications and public consultations including the analysis of responses and preparation of accurate reports for Committee and delegated decisions as required, including liaison with other sections of the Service and outside bodies as appropriate. To assist with any appeal or enforcement work as and when required.
- To attend meetings both internal and external and make site visits.
- When required, to monitor the implementation of planning and other permissions and consents.
- Support the development and help maintain up to date information on external web pages.
- Respond to enquiries from members of the public by providing a direct service or referring customers to other members of staff, agencies, contacts or appropriate websites.
- Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
About You:
You will have:
- Experience of undertaking research and analysis of information.
- The ability to weigh evidence and evaluate alternative solutions.
- The ability to deliver projects to time and to finish and evaluate outcomes, identifying actions for improvement and development.
- Experience of using appropriate systems and software to undertake investigations and research to inform quantitative and qualitative analysis and appraisal
Essential Requirements for the role:
- Have Level 3 qualifications which include:
Five GCSE’s at Grade 4/C to 9/A*, including maths and English at least level 2, plus at least 120 UCAS points from at least 3 A Levels
Or
Equivalent BTEC National qualification
Or
A Level 3 Apprenticeship in a planning related discipline
- Have the right to work and study in England.
- Have been ordinarily resident in the UK or EEA for three years before the apprenticeship start date.
Timeline
4th July – Application window closes
You will need to submit your application, including a supporting statement, before midnight on this date.
12th July – Assessment Centre
The assessment centre will be an in person event at County Hall, Chelmsford. You’ll be given a range of group and individual exercises to complete.
21st July – Final Interview
The formal interview stage will focus on your knowledge about Essex County Council and Planning, your experience and your drive and motivation.
24th July – Offer made
The successful candidate will be contacted during this week and be offered the opportunity to undertake this Apprenticeship. Enrolment with LSBU will commence.
September - Start working as a Town Planning Apprentice at ECC
October - Apprenticeship start with LSBU
Why Essex?
Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here .
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We are committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you need any reasonable adjustments during the process.
We are also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
To read more about us please visit:
Economy, Investment and Public Health: https://www.workingforessex.com/role/economy-investment-and-public-health
Entry to Work: https://www.workingforessex.com/working-here/entry-to-work
How to apply
Seize the day! Discover your future as a Chartered Town Planner by clicking the APPLY button now!
As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
Additional Information:
If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community here.
If you have queries on this role or require further information, please email: work.placements@essex.gov.uk
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