Apprentice Town Planner

About You
Do you want to understand what gets built where and why?
Do you enjoy learning and working with maps and plans?
Do you want to be involved in shaping the places around you and ensuring that built development is safe and stable?
Do you want the opportunity to be involved in defining planning policy at both national and local level?
And the best part….
Do you want to undertake an MScs in Urban Planning funded by us, that’s no student loan!!!, whilst gaining work-based practical experience and earning a salary at the same time? …….. What’s not to like!
If you are interested please read on...
Want to learn more about being a Town Planner - RTPI | What a Town Planner does
We are looking for someone to join us as a Town Planning Apprentice. Whether you have recently left education or looking to change career, this is an amazing opportunity to join our friendly Planning team. Our degree apprenticeship programme offers you the opportunity to study for a Master’s degree, at no cost to you, whilst gaining work-based practical experience. Not only will you be supported by a wide team of professionals you will also get the support you need to become a professionally qualified chartered Town Planner. For the right candidate this could become a permanent post with the Planning team.
You will be a highly motivated, have an eye for detail, be a good communicator and in return, our apprenticeship offers structured development, providing the perfect foundations for your Town Planning career. The programme is for a period of up to five years, depending on course eligibility, qualifications and experience, and will give you valuable practical skills as well as academic knowledge from our educational partner, Sheffield Hallam University.
You will gain hands on experience of our role as a statutory consultee in the planning process, working on both development management and planning policy consultations, and you will also learn about how the Planning team supports the wider organisation in gaining planning permission for its own projects. This will provide an excellent and wide ranging start to your career as a chartered Town Planner, without having to pay a penny in tuition fees!
Entry requirements are five GCSEs (or equivalent) at Grade C, 4 or above, including English language and maths, as well as one of the following;
- 112 UCAS points from at least two A Levels or equivalent BTEC National qualifications (AS Levels and general studies accepted)
- Town Planning Technical Support Apprenticeship - Level 3 Diploma
- Access to Higher Education Diploma: a minimum of 45 passes at Level 3.
We're ready to invest in you and your future, so why not apply. For more details regarding the course please go to the following website:
MSc Urban Planning | Sheffield Hallam University (shu.ac.uk)
We don’t expect candidates to meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!
About The Role
As an Apprentice Town Planner you will help to contribute to our role as a high performing statutory consultee, dealing with over 9,000 consultations each year. You will be part of our experienced and friendly team, working with chartered Town Planners and support staff. Receiving training and experience in a wide range of Town Planning elements including planning policy and development management.
You will attend Sheffield Hallam University, one day a week and a maximum of 3 days on average will be within the Mansfield office, subject to working patterns and business requirements.
Applications for this apprenticeship will need to be made through the Coal Authority who will coordinate the process between the three parties of prospective Apprentice, Sheffield Hallam University and the Coal Authority.
You will be employed on a fixed term contract which will be subject to the ongoing successful completion of the apprenticeship programme and working in accordance with the values and behaviours of the Authority.
However, once chartered this could become a permanent Planning Manager role for the right candidate. Your pay will be linked to your qualification and performance milestones throughout the life of the apprenticeship. Job responsibilities and competency levels will be updated each academic year to reflect the knowledge, skills and experience gained.
Role location: Hybrid, Mansfield, Sheffield
For more information about the role please refer to the attached job description.
Schedule:
Application closing date: 7th February 2024
Sifting date: 8th February 2024
Interviews: 13th February 2024
(If you are unavailable on these interview dates, please make us aware and we will look at alternative dates)
Security:
Successful candidates must pass basic security checks and will be subject to UK Immigration requirements.
About The Coal Authority
Our benefits:
- A market leading pension scheme - our employer contribution rate is around 27%
- A choice of working patterns; full-time, part-time, job-share
- Flexible working arrangements available
- Generous holiday allowance – 27.5 days annual leave, plus the ability to flex an extra 6 days in addition to 8 public holidays
- Adoption or shared parental leave of 26 weeks full pay (subject to qualifying criteria)
- Support with professional qualifications
- Payment of one annual professional subscription
- Free, confidential Employee Assistance Programme
- Diversity Network Groups
- Mental Health Allies
- Employee discounts available through Edenred
- Annual health check
- £15 per month towards wellbeing activities
- Civil Service Sports and Social club
- A values based recognition scheme
- On-site free parking, tea, coffee and soft drinks in the Mansfield office
Working with us:
We offer different ways to work flexibly, and the following types of flexibility are usually possible: job share, flexible hours, working from home for part of the week and compressed hours. Please feel free to talk about what flexibility means to you at your interview.
With a genuine commitment to flexible working, we believe that work life balance is incredibly important.
Who we are:
Here at the Coal Authority, we really are a great team to work with. We’re united in our passion and commitment to make a better future for people and the environment in mining areas.
We carry out a wide variety of essential services from responding to coal mining hazards, to keeping everyone and everything safe from mine water pollution.
We are excited about what our future holds. Our work is helping to develop a new sustainable source of renewable energy for the UK. By harnessing the energy from mine water heat, we hope to play a key role towards helping the UK to meet net-zero emissions by 2050.
We truly are a supportive organisation where we all live and breathe our values. We are inclusive, trusted and progressive in everything that we do.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:
Here at TCA we don’t just accept difference – we celebrate it, support it, and thrive on it for the benefit of our colleagues, our customers and our communities. We are proud to be an inclusive employer. We are committed to developing a supportive, inclusive, caring and positive community. We encourage applications from people from different backgrounds, identities, cultures and beliefs. Diversity is vital to our success and innovation and is fundamental to our values of being trusted, inclusive and progressive.
As part of our commitment to increasing the diversity of our workforce, we provide a guaranteed interview to applicants who meet the minimum selection criteria who are disabled or from a minority ethnic community.
If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative format application forms you can get in touch with us by contacting the team by email at recruitment@coal.gov.uk or by phone on 01623 637000.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme