You can do a degree accredited by The Royal Town Planning Institute before applying for a job as an assistant.

Subjects include:

• planning, environment and development
• city and regional planning
• urban planning and property development

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

You can take a college course to learn some of the skills needed for the job, which may help when applying for a trainee position.

Courses include:

• construction and the built environment
• civil engineering for technicians
• T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

You can apply for a place on a Town Planning Assistant Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.

This typically takes around 2 years to complete and is a mix of on-the-job training and off-site study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

You can apply directly for a trainee position. You'll need a minimum of GCSEs in maths, English and ICT, along with A levels or equivalent in subjects like:

• geography
• environmental studies
• business studies
• economics

You may have an advantage if you have experience in:

• administration
• computer-aided design (CAD)
• construction
• surveying

Some employers may ask for a degree qualification.

You'll need:

• knowledge of geography
• the ability to work well with others
• analytical thinking skills
• excellent verbal communication skills
• customer service skills
• business management skills
• legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
• maths skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

You may need a driving licence to visit development sites.

As a town planning assistant, you could:

• research information on land and property registers
• gather data, take photos and check maps on site visits
• prepare reports on potential development sites
• manage technical libraries, filing systems and databases
• draw up plans using computer-aided design software
• carry out surveys, like traffic impact assessments
• advise on planning and environmental regulations
• organise public consultations and answer enquiries about application procedures

We've identified this as a potential green job

For a town planning assistant to be a green job, you could:

• research and present reports on the environmental impact of plans
• aim to reduce congestion and promote cleaner ways to travel
• put sustainability at the heart of projects

Find out more about green careers

You could work in an office or visit sites.