The RTPI has agreed to the establishment of a Displaced Planners Pathway to Work Fund worth £20,000
The Displaced Planners Pathway to Work Fund will assist displaced planning professionals in entering the planning profession in the UK and Ireland.
The initiative has been developed by the RTPI’s chief executive and will address the increasing number of planning professionals who have been displaced due to conflicts or natural disasters.
The world is witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. According to the UNHCR’s Refugee Population Statistics Database an estimated 84m people have been forced from their homes.
The RTPI is also committed to planning for the future by supporting initiatives that enable the development of strategies to rebuild places and communities after disasters.
Victoria Hills, chief executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute, said: “While we’ve been striving to provide support, helping connect professionals seeking work and established companies in the UK, we felt that there was more that could be done. This fund will enable the development of a more rounded programme, that will help people access professional networks and develop the specific knowledge needed to work in the UK.