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Pathways to Planning provides local planning authorities with a pipeline of talented, supported new planners who can make a difference.
Pathways to Planning is a graduate recruitment programme run by the Local Government Association which delivered more than 80 new planners to almost 60 local planning authorities in its first year.
The next cohort of Pathways to Planning offers English councils:
- specialist marketing and recruitment services to shortlist a diverse pool of candidates for a September 2025 start
- a bursary of at least £5,000 to enable every Pathways graduate’s postgraduate study and MRTPI accreditation
- a salary bursary to cover part or all of a graduate planner’s salary (bursaries to be allocated in a competitive process)
- development opportunities and a community of support for your graduate to support retention
- no fee to take part: councils pay each graduate planner they employ a minimum of £24,000/pa.
Councils can now sign up to Cohort 3 of the Pathways to Planning programme, hiring graduates who will start work in September 2025. Please sign up if you have salary funding for at least one graduate planner role and have read our guidance document to ensure that the programme will work for your council.
If your council is interested in taking part, but you need more information or are unsure how to fund graduate salaries, please sign our expression of interest form. You can indicate on the form if you would like to receive information about our salary bursary selection process. The expression of interest form will remain open until early April 2025.
We are holding workshops for councils who are interested in finding out how Pathways to Planning can help their planning team on Teams on the following dates:
- Wednesday 29 January 2025, 2pm – 3pm
- Monday 10 February 2025, 10am – 11am
For more information, to book your spot at a workshop, or to request an individual call with our programme manager if you are unable to attend a workshop date, please contact the Pathways to Planning team at [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions
Information for applicants
If you are a graduate and are interested in applying for the programme, visit the dedicated website for applicants at pathwaystoplanning.org.