Applied through
Associate APC (A-APC)
Commended
Whole submission
Qualifications:
- BSc (Hons) in Urban Planning & Development at Cardiff University
My career:
From the years of 2016-2020 I attended Cardiff University on the Urban Planning and Development course. As part of this 4-year degree, I undertook a yearlong placement at a housebuilder in the South East, assisting the land team with the acquisition of new residential opportunities and the promotion of their existing portfolio. During my second year at Cardiff University, I took part in a semester abroad where I attended Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, on their Urban and Regional Planning course. After graduating in 2020, I started a full-time position at Boyer, where I worked for 3 years.
In 2022, I became Chair of the RTPI Young Planners Cymru and continued this role for 3 years, working alongside numerous amazing Committee members to organise social and CPD events for Young Planners in Wales.
Following my time as a Planning Consultant, I joined the South West team at Hallam Land in 2023 where I work as a Development Planner on the acquisition, planning and disposal of sites for the region.
My 4-year undergraduate course was partially accredited by the RTPI and thus my route to chartership was through the Associate route. This involved applying to be an Associate member after I had gained 2 years of experience, followed by 2 years of experience at Associate level before I could submit my A-APC. Whilst the Associate route, at the time, felt like a lengthy process to chartership, it provided an opportunity to progress in my career and allowed me to gain valuable experience through varying types of project work.
APC tips
-
Reach out to other planners also doing their APC
Having the opportunity to discuss the APC process (whether through the Licenciate or Associate route) with other planners who are going through, or have gone through, the APC process to chartership is incredibly valuable. For me, this was through Young Planners Cymru events. These presented an excellent opportunity to discuss with other young planners how their APC’s were evolving, allowing an environment where we could discuss tips and support each other. It is often the case that you are the only one in your workplace or team that is undergoing the APC process so having the support of planners at a similar level to you is invaluable.
-
Make a note of EVERYTHING!
At the very start of my career, I was advised to jot down every small task I had ever completed, as this would not only assist in seeing how I was progressing as a Planner but would also assist in the APC process. By the time it was time to start my A-APC, as you can imagine, I had an incredibly long list! However, this list was invaluable as it detailed many tasks and projects I had completed which showed progression, knowledge of the planning system, and highlighted key strengths and weaknesses.
-
Learn the competencies early on
Become familiar with what competencies you must demonstrate, and at what evidence type. Whilst also taking note of tasks, it is good practice to jot down what competencies these tasks displayed. This will greatly assist when preparing your Reflective Journal. You will be surprised at just how many competencies can be demonstrated in what feels like a small task!
-
Set deadlines for yourself
To make the process manageable, I found setting deadlines for myself helpful. Whilst at the time it could have been perceived as being incredibly strict with myself, it allowed me to focus on one particular element (PES, PDP, PCS) within a set time, rather than becoming overwhelmed thinking I had to be working on them all at once. Setting these personal deadlines allowed sufficient time for my mentor to review my drafts, saving a lot of stress as I had ample time to tweak any identified areas.
-
APC resources are your best friend
The RTPI website has a host of valuable resources to assist when preparing your APC, including the main guidance (with the very helpful checklist!), advice notes, submission examples and webinars. The A-APC webinars provided great advice and support as I knew very few people who had applied through the Associate route, thus being hard to discuss and compare with others due to the required submission documents varying in detail and length.