Although I suffer from panic attacks, I'd like to try and get out there and get an interesting job. One of my interests is Sheffield, particualry the regenaration of our wonderful city.
Are there any jobs out there that would fit this description, and would I need any qualifications as I've only got one A level..

Originally posted by Sony
Although I suffer from panic attacks, I'd like to try and get out there and get an interesting job. One of my interests is Sheffield, particualry the regenaration of our wonderful city.
Are there any jobs out there that would fit this description, and would I need any qualifications as I've only got one A level..

I too want to get into regeneration and enquired about it after I finished my A Levels. Every organisation had the same reply - GO TO UNIVERSITY! So that's what i'm doing, a Master in Planning and the job market is apparently very good for planning :)

Hiya Sony,

Have you tried looking at what people like Yorkshire Forward (www.yorkshire-forward.com) and Sheffield First (www.sheffieldfirst.com) have to offer?

When I peeked the other day they didn't seem to have too much but it might be worth seeing if you can chat with someone there about how you might get your foot in the door.

Also, there's the Connexions careers place on Division Street - again might be useful. Folks there are quite friendly!

Joe

you can keep an eye on the Council website (http://jobs.sheffield.gov.uk/on_line_vacancies/default.asp)

but they hardly ever turn up and when they do you need to have loads of experience/qualifications and I assume there will be loads of people going for one job.

Originally posted by JoePritchard
Hiya Sony,

Have you tried looking at what people like Yorkshire Forward (www.yorkshire-forward.com) and Sheffield First (www.sheffieldfirst.com) have to offer?

When I peeked the other day they didn't seem to have too much but it might be worth seeing if you can chat with someone there about how you might get your foot in the door.

Also, there's the Connexions careers place on Division Street - again might be useful. Folks there are quite friendly!

Joe

Yorkshire Forward are likely to be difficult to get into without trillions of qualifications either. My friend is doing a degree in property management (or something similar) and she was lucky to get a job in Leeds Council. Regional Development Agencies (RDA's) are run by professionals, so the entry threshold will be much higher.

I know this because I enquired at an Urban Regeneration Company (URC) (the Corby version of Sheffield One) and I was told that RDA's are the next step up from them.

The best way to get into regeneration is through a council planning department, then onto a URC or RDA. Experience in planning is essential for regeneration - we don't want our towns and cities being planned by university graduates with no prior experience or joe public whose just got one foot in the door.

Its a tough profession - one i'm aiming to get to the top of :D

Hi dinp,

Understood that you'd need qualifications - I was looking at their sites out of interest more than employment seeking.

However.....many places will quite happily have a chat with you to let you know what the score is, even if they have no jobs. I don't think anyone's expecting to get a job as a planner and immediately start regenerating the city with no qualifications, but Sony might get some guidance...

And as for not wanting our towns and cities planned by the inexperienced....if things are currently planned by experienced professionals then some new blood might be useful.....

Just because it's a tough profession doesn't mean that other people don't have a right to take a shot at getting in.

Joe

Originally posted by JoePritchard
And as for not wanting our towns and cities planned by the inexperienced....if things are currently planned by experienced professionals then some new blood might be useful.....

Just because it's a tough profession doesn't mean that other people don't have a right to take a shot at getting in.

Joe

Hi Joe

The planning profession is crying out for new blood - one of the main reasons for choosing the course I did was the excellent job prospects in Planning come graduation time. A lot of students are poached in their final year according to my lecturers.
I subscribe to a weekly planning journal and all the main figureheads of the profession are quite old (nearing retirement age).

Planning itself is not a very popular course of degree or master, there were only 30 places on my course I think.

Most organisations welcome informal chats with members of the public - one of the principal problems the planning profession has is gaining public confidence and acceptance for schemes they previously knew so little, or in some cases nothing about - led by people they haven't heard of. Meetings and chats fill this void and good information is usually on hand. The URC I spoke to couldn't have been more helpful, but then again they know i'm studying planning.

A friend I used to work with was campaigning against one of the proposals put forward by this URC and has met with the Chief Exec on numerous occasions. Despite the two having opposing views, she said there was a mutual respect between them and that the company were as amicable and friendly as possible considering the circumstances.

Why only think about working in the public sector?

The Planners that work in the LA that make a difference are the elite. All planning departments are made up of also-rans that just turn up for work because the alarm rang that morning.

Opportunities to influence regeneration from an LA POV are rare. Sheffield has a few, but to be honest the agencies are not the place to be if you actually want to see results (for all sorts of reasons).

There are development companies that are looking for bright young things that can add an extra dimension to projects.

Why get into planning only to spend your life doing bog extensions for factories?

O work in regeneration and have done for the last five years. Formal qualifications are not particualrly important I don't think - the vital thing (to get me my jobs) was a good knowledge of the area's I've been working in, knowing the people (both residents & 'professionals'_) and getting to know the terminology and 'how things are done'.

As a general area, regen is likely to suffer quite a lot in the near future - the expansion of the EU means that most european regen money will now go to the old eastern bloc countries, not the poorer parts of the UK (tho I think South Yorks will retain some of those monies in the mid-term).

Best way to get a job long-term is either to get a job in something like an admin position within a regen company, or a post with a particlualr regen project and then try and get to work with the funders to learn about them - there is always a great demand for people able to write up funding proposals.

Regeneration & Renewal is a fascinating read that is probably in the central library and would give you an overview of the field, and availability and types of jobs. Funding News (from SCEDU on Mowbreay St, and probably in the library too) is a rather more local thing that could also be useful to you.

You don't necessarily need to look at Council stuff - think laterally. Community Forums, community organisations, even the Wildlife Trust, are right at the grass roots of all the regeneration taking place.
You can do what I did, which is to take on a voluntary/apprentice/trainee role, and work your way up from there. Voluntary, charity and community organisations are huge on training and capacity building.
In Norfolk Park, we're currently looking for a volunteer who'd like to take on the local newsletter, Norfolk Park View. Things like that are a foot in the door at least.
Good luck,
Cosy

as has already been said, there is a shortage of planners so training as one wouldn't be a bad idea at all. There is a regeneration team based in the town and regional planning department at sheffield uni - perhaps they'd be able to advise you?

Originally posted by dinp
Every organisation had the same reply - GO TO UNIVERSITY!
After going to University and working overseas when I came back to Sheffield I was told "you need more qualifications". So, I spent another two years in education to be then told "you've been out of industry for too long".

Mutter mutter...

Originally posted by commie pig
Regeneration & Renewal is a fascinating read that is probably in the central library and would give you an overview of the field, and availability and types of jobs. Funding News (from SCEDU on Mowbreay St, and probably in the library too) is a rather more local thing that could also be useful to you.

That's what I subscribe to :D

Originally posted by dinp
That's what I subscribe to :D
Fascinating isn't it!

There's New Start as well - i can never work out what the difference between the two is meant to be.

Unlike what otheres have said tho, I don't think Sony needs to go and do a uni course. If you are going to work for one of the local regen companies (Manor & Castle, Heeley Dev Trusts, Burngreave Community Action Trust, for example), rather than one of the really big strategic ones like Sheffield First, then what stands you in best stead is local knowledge, particularly of some project within the area.

Find a project that grabs you, volunteer for it for a while, mauybe get a paid job for them or a similar workplace, and then the local development trusts will at least consider you as a development worker, or some such title.

A bit quicker than a degree at least!

my friends just started this kind of job for sheff council....and she had to do a postgrad course in the area first, and still counted herself very lucky to get the position

Good luck tho' :)

Originally posted by commie pig
Fascinating isn't it!

There's New Start as well - i can never work out what the difference between the two is meant to be.

Unlike what otheres have said tho, I don't think Sony needs to go and do a uni course. If you are going to work for one of the local regen companies (Manor & Castle, Heeley Dev Trusts, Burngreave Community Action Trust, for example), rather than one of the really big strategic ones like Sheffield First, then what stands you in best stead is local knowledge, particularly of some project within the area.

Find a project that grabs you, volunteer for it for a while, mauybe get a paid job for them or a similar workplace, and then the local development trusts will at least consider you as a development worker, or some such title.

A bit quicker than a degree at least!

there are always lots of Burngreave project jobs going because its in..well...Burngreave...