Participants in the UK’s first Transport Planning Apprenticeship, which started in October this year, met Transport Minister Andrew Jones and other transport professionals when they visited Leeds this month.  The Leeds College of Building was selected to provide the block release course work which is an essential part of the scheme.  There are 40 Transport Planning Technician (TPT) Apprentices and this marks the start of what is one of the government’s first Trailblazers – a new form of apprenticeship.

At the same time the Minister also confirmed the Government’s preferred route for Phase Two of HS2 and during the visit he spoke to a group of five students about the opportunities HS2 would present.  The group also talked about potential upgrades that will be made to Leeds Railway Station.

Sarah Carter, Leeds College of Building’s project manager for the TPT apprenticeship, said: “This was a great opportunity for these students, who are the Transport Planners of the future, to hear first-hand about the Government’s aspirations for HS2 and the exciting opportunities it will create.”

Leeds College of Building’s Transport Planning course is an essential complement to the apprentices’ in-company training, which gives them the chance to gain vital experience across a range of projects.  They are paid during both their in-work training and block release college teaching.

The scheme was developed by a group of employers with support from the Transport Planning Society (TPS) and the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT), and now from Leeds College of Building and the Leeds Institute for Transport Studies.  At the end of the course, successful apprentices will achieve a Level 3 qualification and will be able to join the TPS Professional Development Scheme (PDS) which in turn can help them achieve the professional qualification for transport planners, the Transport Planning Professional (TPP).

Keith Buchan, TPS Director for Skills said:

“The Transport Planning Technician Apprenticeship is an exciting new initiative aimed at attracting talented young people into a career as a transport planner. It will provide an excellent grounding for anyone, whatever their background, entering the profession, and leads directly into the industry standard TPS Professional Development Scheme and the TPP.”

ENDS

For more information contact:

Keith Buchan, Skills Director TPS, skills@tps.org.uk

0208 994 0900

For more information about Leeds College of Building and its courses visit www.lcb.ac.uk or call 0113 222 6000

Notes to editor:

• Leeds College of Building was established in 1960 and is the only specialist further education construction college in the UK. The Principal is Ian Billyard, who was appointed in March 2003. The College currently has around 7,500 students.
• The employers’ group includes:
  • Christine Crossley - Training Manager at Atkins Global and TPS PDS Operations Manager, is the TAC Chair.
  • Kate Morris - Director of Strategic Planning & Advisory, Transportation, AECOM who is also their TPS stakeholder representative and has been helping LCoB with some of the learning content.
  • Keith Mitchell – Chair of Peter Brett Associates, former Chair of TPS and member of the TPS Skills Committee.
• Barry Falconer is the Curriculum Manager for Technical and Professional Apprenticeships. LCB lecturer Barry was awarded BTEC Outstanding Lecturer of the Year 2013. He came to teaching after 30 years working as a Contractor in the civil engineering industry.