BCC skills programme to unblock Britain’s planning pressures
The UK is renowned for being the best place to start and grow a business, but a slow planning system, due to lack of resource and specialist skills, is holding firms, and the country, back and impacting economic growth. To tackle the problem, business must be part of the solution.
This is why the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), with founding partner Aviva, is establishing a new five-year industry-led programme to increase skills and capacity in Local Planning Authorities (LPAs).
The programme will pay for at least 100 undergraduate and masters’ level qualifications for people entering the planning industry, and for people already working in LPAs who need to develop skills for more senior planning roles.
It will pay for the learner’s training and will aim to facilitate work experience and jobs within LPAs. In return, at the end of their course of study, the learner must commit to work in a council planning role for at least two years.
The BCC is asking businesses from all sectors to contribute to the programme’s fund with the aim of raising at least £3 million. Aviva is contributing £500,000 as the first UK firm to support the scheme.
Announced in the Spring Budget, the government confirmed that they will provide up to £3m in restricted matched funding to Local Planning Authorities to ensure that newly trained people are employed for at least two years post qualification.
Find out more on the BCC’s website here: https://www.britishchambers.org.uk/policy-campaigns/people-and-work/our-solutions/investing-in-talent-building-communities/
© Cumbria Chamber of Commerce