We are offering an exciting opportunity where you “earn and learn”. This apprenticeship pathway will give you the experience, knowledge and confidence to lead you into a career within Planning Policy and give you the chance to fully realise your potential within a fast paced and proactive organisation.
Annual wage: £19,293 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Training course: Town planning assistant (level 4)
Hours
37 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
37.0 hours a week
Possible start date: Monday 12 January 2026
Duration: 2 Years
Positions available: 1
As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.
Town Planning requires a set of skills and processes to build homes, support jobs and protect the environment. No two days are the same, and your career could lead to a variety of specialisms and supporting local communities.
Your training will provide you with a broad knowledge base of the Strategic Planning Service at West Suffolk Council. As a Planning Policy Apprentice, you will be supporting the team in undertaking a range of tasks including assisting preparation of the Local Plan, delivery of the adopted Local Plan, supporting the preparation of Neighbourhood Plans, supporting colleagues in the development management team and assisting the preparation of supplementary planning documents and masterplans.
West Suffolk House
Western Way
Bury St. Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 3YU
An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.
CHICHESTER COLLEGE GROUP
Town planning assistant (level 4)
Whilst working, you will complete a Level 4 Town Planning Assistant Apprenticeship, for which you will be entitled to paid study time to complete; this is linked to the national apprenticeship scheme. You will have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience, learning and developing new skills whilst building your confidence along the way.
GCSE in:
Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.
West Suffolk Council is an extremely ambitious and dynamic local authority with a workforce of over 700 employees. We provide healthy, safe and vibrant places to live and work. Few other employers play such a pivotal role in the community. That's a great responsibility but also very rewarding and something that really makes a difference.
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
This is a career grade post that commences at Planning Policy Apprentice and provides the opportunity to progress to Planning Policy Officer.
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
West Suffolk Council
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000004669.
Closes on Sunday 11 January 2026
