Information for employers
Develop specialist talent with our Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) accredited master's level Chartered Town Planner Degree Apprenticeship: a cost-effective way to train professionally qualified town planners for your organisation.
The apprenticeship will shape talent for roles including Planning Officer, Town Planner, Planner, Development Management Planner and Planning Consultant. Career progression can lead to Senior Planner, Principal Planning Officer, or similar roles.
You may wish to create a new role within your organisation to attract fresh talent or develop your existing staff. The programme has been designed for employers who have a mentor to support and guide the apprentice in their study and career progression for the duration of the apprenticeship.
Degree apprenticeships are a smart investment. You can reinvest Apprenticeship Levy funds to cover the cost of the apprenticeship, or receive funding support from the government.
If you operate in England and your annual payroll is over £3 million, you pay a levy of 0.5% of your payroll into a levy account.
The cost of the Chartered Town Planner programme for levy paying employers is £11,200 and this can be covered in full using the non-refundable funds in your levy account. If you exhaust the funds in your levy account, then the government will pay 95% of the outstanding fees and you will need to pay the remaining 5%.
If your organisation is not required to pay the levy, you will pay only 5% of the cost of the apprenticeship programme while the government pays the remaining 95%. The cost of the Chartered Town Planner programme for non-levy paying employers is just £560.
For more about the Apprenticeship Levy, and to find out about any additional incentive payments for hiring a new apprentice from the government, please visit the key information section on our Degree apprenticeships for employers page.
Our team of dedicated consultants can talk you through the detail.
“I am delighted that ARU are leading the way by providing the training for employers across the East of England. The apprenticeship is securing the future talent pipeline of planners that the country so desperately needs.”
Victoria HillsChief Executive, Royal Town Planning Institute
“Partnering with ARU has provided a powerful opportunity to develop and grow talent. The apprentices see what they are learning implemented on real life projects adding significant value to their experience.”
Kate SmithHR Director, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure
Chartered Town Planners represent the gold standard of planning practice. They are recognised by employers, clients and members of the public for their skills, expertise and professional practice.
The course is delivered over two and a half years (September start: 2 years and 4 months. January start: 2 years and 9 months).
At least 20% of apprentices contracted hours will be classed as ‘off the job’. This time will be dedicated to developing the knowledge and skills needed to meet the requirements of the apprenticeship, and therefore is not part of their usual work duties.
The off-the-job learning is gained through university-led learning sessions and activities, and practical learning experiences in the usual work setting.
Apprentices will attend term-time day release sessions at our Chelmsford campus led by sector specialists and practitioners.
As an employer your organisation sets out the person specifications for the role, but the apprentice will need to meet our entry requirements to be accepted onto the course. You can view the full entry requirements on our apprentice course page.
Our team of dedicated consultants can talk you through the detail.
Our dedicated apprenticeship team is on hand to help you attract the best candidates for your organisation. We can help with:
Our consultants will also be happy to support you in determining the suitability of the candidates you receive.
If you'd like to know more about the apprenticeship, have a current employee in mind or are thinking of recruiting an apprentice for your business, our designated team of experts are here to support you at every step. Get in touch today.