Local authorities are being invited to apply for bursaries to pay for graduate planner salaries as part of a drive to attract new talent into the profession.
Under the Local Government Association's (LGA) Pathway to Planning initiative, £4.5 million of government funding will be channelled into salary bursaries for councils to cover part or all of a graduate planner's salary.
This funding comes through a two-year grant to selected local authorities in September 2025. Councils will be able to fund their graduates' salaries for the duration of a part-time master's degree.
Postgraduate study is also funded by the programme and will upskill new planners to chartered status, creating a pipeline of professionals for local authorities.
Graduates applying to the programme must pass a rigorous four-stage process to secure a place on the programme. The LGA said this ensures "councils can attract top talent with this offer".
LGA Improvement and Innovation Board Chair, Abi Brown, said: "We urge councils to seize this opportunity with both hands, it’s a great way to bring in excellent talent at the exact right time".
"Here is a significant ongoing and historic challenge with resourcing planning teams and retaining staff with necessary specific skills across the country, with nearly two-thirds of councils relying on agency staff to address capacity and skills gaps".
"With the additional financial support provided for councils, this is a great opportunity to fill in capacity gaps without the full price tag".
Almost 90 graduate planners started to work through the programmes last year, and its current recruitment process has seen more than 2,000 graduates apply.
