Hampshire County Council is one of the first councils to implement an innovative scheme that keeps its transport planners highly trained, up-to-date and on a par with private industry standards.

Hampshire faces significant demands to ensure that the county's transport network meets the needs of all its residents and to ensure that the local economy remains competitive and able to cope with new development. The County Council is therefore introducing a pilot scheme to support its planners in gaining the nationally-recognised Transport Planning Professional qualification. This relatively new qualification, overseen by The Transport Planning Society and the Chartered Institute of Highways & Transportation, will ensure that best practice is maintained within the Council and its planners have all the skills and experience required to plan for the future and sustain a robust transport system.

Successful applicants will work with a mentor who will help them develop additional areas of expertise and will then help them with their final submission.

Case study
Stephen Gee is currently working towards his Transport Planning Professional qualification and gives some insight into his reasons for taking up the challenge.
“I read Human Geography at university – I focused on urban development and transportation modules – joining Hampshire County Council in 2006 as an Assistant Transport Planner, where I developed my project management and data analysis skills on local transport projects.

“I was keen to continue my training so I studied part-time for an MSc in Transport Planning which taught me both historical and contemporary techniques. This prepared me for a new role as Transport Planner with a lead role for Fareham and Whiteley.

“Recently I’ve been seconded to Transport for South Hampshire and the Isle of Wight where I’m developing plans for the strategic infrastructure needed across South Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight to address the key priorities of economic growth and carbon reduction. The secondment has also enabled me to lead on projects such as collaborating with industry to develop a freight strategy.

“The Transport Planning Professional qualification is a fantastic opportunity for me to take stock of my career to-date and plan for the future. As you progress, you inevitably become more and more specialised and the qualification is an opportunity to continue broadening my expertise.

“Part of the process which I really enjoy is working with my mentor to identify the gaps in my knowledge and experience. Together we’ve developed a plan to fill the gaps and two such areas are commissioning ecological impact assessments and undertaking personalised journey planning. To gain an understanding into these areas I’ll be providing support for other projects and shadowing people over the next 6 months, and I’m aiming to submit my TPP application in April 2014.

“The benefits are not restricted to only increasing my knowledge. The qualification is a recognised industry standard and, as I begin to deal with more senior people, it will help me build good working relationships. The Council benefits as well, because the qualification process makes the organisation more responsive to change by maintaining a flexible workforce. I look forward to piloting the TPP scheme in Hampshire. I hope to help shape the scheme’s development and perhaps one day mentor other staff through the qualification.”

Cllr Seán Woodward, Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment at Hampshire County Council said:
“All organisations need to keep up with the times and maintain a modern and well-trained workforce so that they continue to deliver the best possible service. This new scheme will ensure that our staff have the skills and experience to carry on delivering some of the best transport networks in the UK to Hampshire’s residents and businesses.

“As a responsible employer we are always looking at ways to develop our staff and maintain and increase expertise within the Council so we remain an efficient, modern and flexible organisation.”