One of the unexpected casualties of the current economic downturn and the recent changes in local government organisation has been the lack of placements for those students who do a placement year.

Newcastle University, one of 3 universities that offer a placement year for students has seen its placements fall from all students placed (41 in 2007; 34in 2008) to 50% of students placed in 2009 (17 including 1 overseas placement) and currently only 8 offers for possible placements in 2010 (at 03-10).

Whilst it is not compulsory for RTPI courses to offer placements, these placements have proven to be very beneficial for all involved, and have improved students employability and professionalism by the point they are seeking full time work. Students feel that these placements are very worthwhile:

 “I found the Year Out a very useful experience. It cemented all the knowledge that I had gained on my undergraduate course and taught me how planning policy and plan making is linked to the working world” (placement student, 2010). 

Practice local authorities, NGOs and consultancies report very positively on how students develop over the course of the year, and how much they contribute by the end of their practice year. Frequently, students return to their placement employers at the end of their Diploma to start their planning careers. Many of these organisations comment on their commitment to the placement year and to their belief that it helps to produce practice savvy planners at the start of their careers: 

Miles Walker, Divisional Director of Planning and Development at W A Fairhurst and Partners (a company with a 9 year commitment to the Graduate Placement Programme), stressed that through this programme 

“we have developed the careers of 26 young professionals 9 of which still work for the firm.” 

Miles continued to say

 “There is no doubt that the economic climate impacts upon the number of graduates we employ. Last year we employed 2 graduates where as at the height of the boom we had 8. The firm is still totally committed to supporting year out placements and consider that planners leaving university who have had the year out experience are head and shoulders above the rest.”

Newcastle University is deeply committed to its placement year, but it does need placements to offer students. These are usually paid employment, with the expectation that a student will have a planning workload, usually for a year. However placements vary from organisation to organisation and from student to student, so there is considerable flexibility built into the norm.

If there are possibilities within your planning organisation to offer a placement, perhaps only for 6 months, or for a particular project, or part-time rather than full time then do please contact Susannah Gunn: 0191-222-8002, s.c.gunn@ncl.ac.uk; Teresa Strachan: teresa.strachan@ncl.ac.uk; or Lorraine Proudlock: 0191-222-6024 lorraine.proudlock@ncl.ac.uk to discuss these possibilities in more detail.

Back to the NE Home Page

Return to Member Area - Resource Centre

Author:

Kay Lough

Publisher:

The Royal Town Planning Institute

Date:

24-Mar-10

Categories:

Nations & Regions 

Sections:

Education & Careers , News & Media

This article has been read 4211 times.