Funding Changes Threaten Future of Planning Apprenticeships

The government’s recent announcement to withdraw funding for Level 7 (master’s level) degree apprenticeships for individuals aged 22 and over from 2026 has sparked significant concern within the planning sector. The decision threatens to reduce the number of qualified planners entering the profession at a time when demand for skilled planners, particularly in local authorities, remains high.

 

The Level 7 Chartered Town Planner Apprenticeship, which combines postgraduate education with paid work experience, has become an increasingly popular and vital pathway into planning. Many entrants pursue planning after completing unrelated undergraduate degrees, often starting their planning training later in their careers. The new age restriction risks excluding a large proportion of these candidates.

 

Currently, about 70% of apprentices are employed by local authorities, making public sector planning teams particularly vulnerable. Universities are already reevaluating the viability of planning courses reliant on apprenticeship students, with some suspending recruitment in response.

 

On hearing the announcement, DHA Planning’s Managing Director, Alex Hicken, said:

 

“I was bitterly disappointed to read the government’s decision to cut funding for Level 7 (master’s) planning apprenticeships for those aged 22 and over, as reported by Planning Resource. This move contradicts the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s commitment to recruit over 300 new public sector planning officers.

 

With the rising cost of full university degrees, degree apprenticeships—combining paid work experience with postgraduate study—are an essential path into planning, particularly popular among Local Authority planners.

 

With the funding cut, this pathway will significantly reduce its cohort from September 2026, risking a shrinking pipeline of skilled planners, especially in local authorities.

This comes at a time when the Government has pledged to deliver new homes and infrastructure. Removing support now sends the wrong message about nurturing the next generation of planners!”

This funding change may hinder efforts to expand the profession and threatens to exacerbate existing workforce shortages, undermining the government’s wider planning reform and growth ambitions. A coordinated strategy to support the future planning workforce is urgently needed.