Helen Fadipe MBE is RTPI President 2025. She is also Managing Director of planning consultancy firm FPP Associates Ltd and is the founder and Chair of the BAME Planners Network.
I am passionate about championing greater investment in planning education to ensure that planners have the knowledge, tools, and skills necessary to excel. Apprenticeships play a key a crucial role in this, offering young people a pathway into a fulfilling and rewarding career in planning. In turn, newly qualified planners make a tangible difference, shaping the towns and cities we work and live in, supporting climate and environment goals, driving economic prosperity and ultimately enhancing health and wellbeing.
National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) is about bringing together everyone passionate about apprenticeships and celebrating the value, benefit, and opportunity that they bring. As part of NAW we’ve heard directly from apprentices about their experiences. Take Alex Pointer, for example who shared:
“I am very proud of my achievement. The apprenticeship has been a lot of work, jumping into planning processes and considerations that were new to me and gaining real-world experience in planning policy.”
This year’s theme for NAW ‘Skills for Life’ highlights the long term value of apprenticeship in building a skilled and resilient workforce. However, with the future funding of Level 7 apprenticeships now uncertain, I am deeply concerned about the impact of a potential skills gap if employers are required to fund apprenticeships outside of the new growth and skills levy.
That’s why the RTPI continues to call on the Government to ensure that employers can continue accessing the Growth and Skills Levy to fund Chartered Town Planner Level 7 apprenticeships. Maintaining this pipeline of skilled and well-trained planners is essential for, delivering the homes and infrastructure that remain a top priority for the Government.
I fully support the RTPI’s call for continued funding to ensure that young people with an interest in planning can benefit from the skills, knowledge and experience that apprenticeships provide. A new generation of planners is vital, not only to strengthen existing planning teams but also to help in the delivery of planning reforms. A well funded planning service depends on this investment.
Direct government intervention is critical to maintain the pipeline of future planners. If we want to retain expertise and local knowledge within councils the only way to do so is to pass this down to those entering the profession. Without action, we risk a declining workforce of skilled planners who are increasingly under pressure, a scenario we simply cannot afford.
Further reading
Find out what the RTPI has been doing to urge the Government not to remove access to vital funding.
Read how built environment bodies are calling for exemptions to Level 7 apprenticeships changes.
