-
Over 50 students will receive a £5,000 planning
bursary
-
Scheme is aimed at disadvantaged students covering up
to 50% of university fees
-
Funding will support planning careers and help local
councils recruit staff
More students across England will benefit from a £5,000 bursary
to pursue careers as planners designing greener neighbourhoods
and thriving towns, the Housing Minister announced today.
Over 50 young professionals with be offered a bursary through the
Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) to study a planning masters,
attracting the next generation of students aspiring to train and
work in the planning sector.
This funding from the Department for Levelling Up will back more
careers in the planning sector, helping councils recruit staff
and create better communities that people are proud to call home.
The new scheme, launched today, increases the size of the bursary
from £2,000 to £5,000, covering up to 50% of the cost of the
student’s university fees. It is aimed at disadvantaged students
including those who struggled financially, with care
responsibilities, or those with disabilities, helping to boost
diversity in the planning sector.
Minister for Housing and Planning, said:
“Planning is an incredibly rewarding career and planners across
the country are helping us to level up by delivering more homes,
better infrastructure and the communities of tomorrow.
“This funding will attract fresh talent and ideas to the planning
sector, including a more diverse range of students who will help
deliver a modern and efficient planning system.”
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has
already funded over 150 bursaries in the last three years.
Former students who have benefitted from the scheme include
36-year-old single parent Jennifer Campbell, who was able to
pursue an Urban and Regional Planning Masters course with the
government backed funding.
Jennifer is currently gaining work experience at TMC Planning
Consultancy while completing her dissertation. The experience of
a bursary has relieved her of financial stress and offered a
platform to acquire valuable skills to be successful in the
planning sector.
Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute,
Victoria Hills said:
“Local authorities and planning consultancies alike are
struggling to attract and retain talent. This matters not just to
the future of planners, but to the communities we represent.
“To deliver for communities, it’s essential that we continue to
attract diverse talent onto accredited planning courses and
support the development of a professional planning workforce that
is open and inclusive. This important bursary scheme, delivered
by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities,
will help more students access an RTPI accredited Masters
programme and inspire and prepare the next generation for a
rewarding career in planning.”
The Government recently announced £1 million to help councils
recruit and train skilled planners and increase awareness about
careers in local government.
Together with this funding, a new generation of trained planners
will offer key expertise to support local planning authorities as
we deliver vital infrastructure and tens of thousands of homes
right across the country.
The Government is supporting local planning authorities to speed
up the planning process and combat recruitment and retention
challenges as we create a modern and efficient planning system
through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.
Background:
- 42 students in England were granted DLUHC-funded Future
Planners bursaries in 2022. There was a total of 168 bursary
recipients across the four years, 2019-2022 inclusive.
Notes to Editors:
