Staff Shortages Threaten System As Planners Age

A recent survey of the planning profession in the United Kingdom has found that there likely won't be enough young planners to replaces the aging planners approaching retirement.

1 minute read

May 7, 2008, 6:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"According to the survey, local authorities will struggle 'to employ enough staff to run its services', with almost a third of council employees set to retire over the next decade."

"The report, 'Leading Lights: Recruiting the Next Generation in Local Government', blames the crisis on a combination of 'baby-boomers' pensioning themselves off and a lack of interest from graduates."

"A spokesman for the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) said: 'There is definitely an ageing population in planning expertise and a problem with attracting new staff... If you start losing a certain amount of this 'brain trust' it doesn't just affect the timescales, it also impacts on the decisions being made.'"

Thanks to ArchNewsNow

Friday, May 2, 2008 in The Architects' Journal

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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