Emma Jolly is the first PDS completion from Systra, and the third to have her final review conducted by videoconference.  She was mentored by Huw Williams who sat in on the review and provided useful feedback on our web based approach from a user perspective.  With more remote reviews scheduled, and mentor training now adapted to remote working, the TPS Skills team is fully functional despite the COVID lockdown.

Emma ( pictured below) said that:

“Completing the PDS scheme has been a really valuable experience enabling me to gain a wide range of skills across a variety of projects, in order to demonstrate the required competencies for the scheme. I have gained a wider appreciation of the linkages between different areas within the transport planning industry and am really pleased that my submission and final review met the requirements of the society. I am very grateful for the guidance received from the society during the process.

I look forward to working towards gaining Chartership through the TPP qualification in the future and feel that the PDS scheme has helped to provide me with a solid foundation from which to do so. I would encourage others considering joining the scheme to take up the opportunity.”

Her mentor Huw Williams said:

“I’d like to thank all at TPS, especially Keith Y, Keith B and Martin R for all their support and constructive feedback over the past few months. The final interview (whilst rigorous) was fair and I was delighted with the outcome in Emma deservedly completing PDS”.

Keith Buchan, TPS Skills Director said:

"Best wishes to Emma for her achievement, we welcome her to the growing community of transport planners who have completed PDS and can now also use the title Incorporated Transport Planner: IncTP.  As she says, PDS will provide her with a sound basis for moving forward to TPP and we encourage mentors and trainees to get in touch to see what we can do to help.  We know that furloughed staff have not necessarily been able to give or receive mentoring and there has obviously been some disruption to project work.  The TPS skills team will do what it can to help and is working on other ways to retain and develop skills at this difficult time. We will be issuing further advice and launching a new PDS support scheme at the end of June.”