RTPI chief tells Lords plans to recruit will be hit by new age requirements
The government鈥檚 plans to focus apprenticeships on younger workers will 鈥渃ome at the cost of their growth agenda鈥欌�� a Lords committee has been told.
In May, the Department for Education announced that public funding for most Level 7 apprenticeships would be stopped from January 2026, with a new programme of foundation-level apprentices aimed at under-22s to be brought in.
Appearing as part of the built environment committee鈥檚 inquiry into the delivery of new towns, Robbie Calvert, head of policy and public affairs at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), raised concerns about the plans.
鈥淚 think the intention is to focus apprenticeships on younger people, but I think this will come at the cost of their growth agenda,鈥� said Calvert, adding that RTPI 鈥渨eren鈥檛 formally consulted鈥�.
鈥淎lmost all of our apprentices come in [at a] slightly older age鈥� than 21. 鈥淢y colleagues in the education team have estimated that that could be turning the tap off of approximately 200 planners a year,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he government has set out its ambitions to bring 300 new planners into the sector, but we don鈥檛 even really have a time frame for when those planners are going to come on board 鈥� is that, for example, in a parliamentary term?鈥�
Calvert said the number of new planners the government wants to bring in could be 鈥渟omewhat dwarfed鈥� by the loss of planners as a result of apprenticeship reform.
RTPI is now asking for a skills and workforce strategy for the planning sector.
No comments yet