TMCnet News
Planning the way we live and work in town and city [Daily Post (Liverpool, England)](Daily Post (Liverpool, England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) What does a career as a town planning officer involve? Town planning officers carry out administrative and technical work for planners that helps shape local communities. This can include work on designs for town and city building developments, new road layouts or environmental policies. Town planning officers help to process planning applications submitted by individuals and businesses. This is a broad role that includes everything from giving advice to the public to technical planning and office duties. Responsibilities include preparing reports for publications, recording minutes, building and managing technical libraries, filing systems and databases, drawing up plans, using computer aided design (CAD) software and carrying out data surveys, for example traffic impact assessments. What skills are needed? To work in town planning support, you should have technical drawing and CAD skills, a working knowledge of common office software and desktop publishing, an understanding of planning regulations and good maths skills for data handling. It is also important to have the ability to read technical diagrams and maps, strong communication skills, good organisational skills and the ability to work accurately. What training do you need? It could help you find work if you have a background and/or qualifications in other areas, for instance customer service, administration, planning legislation, CAD, construction, surveying and law. You would normally receive on-the- job training from your employer, which may be combined with study for the level 3 (NVQ) diploma in town planning technical support. If you wished to become qualified as a town planner you could also work towards an RTPI accredited qualification on a part-time or distance learning basis while working. What are the opportunities for career progression? With experience, you could progress to team leader or move up to technician level. With further study, you could become a fully qualified town planner. What is the salary? Starting salaries are between Pounds 16,000 and Pounds 18,000 a year. Experienced staff have the potential to earn between Pounds 18,500 and Pounds 23,000. More information ? Details for careers information only. Jobs not necessarily available. ? Royal Town Planning Institute: telephone, 020 7929 9494, www.rtpi.org.uk ? The Planner town planning jobs website: www.theplanner.co.uk ? Local authority town planning jobs: www.jobs.planningresource.co.uk Careers in town planning Sue Kelbrick on a career suited to those with good technical knowledge and accuracy (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |