The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has granted the Local Government Association £1.59 million to help local councils recruit and develop more skilled planners.
The Pathways to Planning Programme will see 30 people secure a placement while receiving a bursary towards studying a planning master's degree.
The department is funding the scheme over two years to support the LGA in setting up and delivering this programme. The intention is to recruit diverse talent to enable councils to represent the communities they serve.
LGA chairman James Jamieson commented: "We are incredibly excited to be delivering Pathways to Planning in collaboration with the Planning Advisory Service (PAS), with funding provided by DLUHC".
"With more than 20 years of experience bringing graduate talent into local authorities through the National Graduate Development Programme for local government (NGDP), we are confident that Pathways to Planning can add exceptional value to local council planning teams from day one and build a talent pipeline for the future".
Planning minister Rachel Maclean said: "Delivering a modern and efficient planning system is vital in shaping our neighbourhoods and communities. We want to place the next generation of planners on the frontline to design beautiful homes and provide high-quality infrastructure right across the country".
"We are bringing in groundbreaking reforms to speed up the planning process through the levelling up bill, and it is essential that local councils are equipped with the right skills and resources as we continue to level up towns and cities that people are proud to call home".
The department said this will build on the first phase of funding and will directly support local councils by recruiting around 200 graduates with the right skills and necessary training to add significant value to local planning services.
