Work Experience Programme
Planning and Building Control Work Experience Programme
Planning and Building Control went live with their new work experience programme on Monday 19th October 2009. The programme has been designed to enable each work experience student to obtain hands on experience in a Planning and Building Control working environment. Each student will be allocated their own dummy Planning and Building Control applications, enforcement enquiries and a Planning Appeal to process along with mentor assisted site visits. The schedule is shown below.
Work Experience Schedule
9.30am - 10.30am | 10.30am - 12.30pm | 12.30pm - 1.30pm | 1.30pm - 5.00pm | |
| Monday | Induction | Receipt Planning | LUNCH | Register Planning |
| Tuesday | Planning Site Visit | Assess Planning | LUNCH | Approve or Refuse |
| Wednesday | Register Enforcement | Investigate Enforcement | LUNCH | Register and Process |
| Thursday | Register Building Control | Register Building Control | LUNCH | Building Control |
| Friday | Meet Fire Officer | Approve or Refuse | LUNCH | Evaluation and Meet |
What is Planning and Building Control?
Planning seeks to guide the way our towns, cities and countryside develops. This includes the use of land & buildings, the appearance of buildings, landscaping considerations, highway access and the impact that the development will have on the general environment. Walsall Council Planning Department is responsible for deciding whether a development, which could be anything from an extension on a house to a new shopping centre, should go ahead. Walsall Council Planning Department also investigates development that has gone ahead without the benefit of planning permission to establish whether any legal action needs to be taken to bring the unauthorised development in line with relevant policy (Planning Enforcement).
Building Control sets standards for the design and construction of buildings to ensure the safety and health for people in or about those buildings. They also include requirements to ensure that fuel and power is conserved and facilities are provided for people, including those with disabilities, to access and move around inside buildings. Follow the link below for more information about Planning and Building Control at Walsall Council.
What did other students think of the programme?
Below are some quotes from students who have completed the Planning and Building Control work experience programme.
“I loved it”, “Thank you Walsall Council for helping me to decide on my future career”, “I would consider doing this as a job after my GCSE’s”, “It was a very good experience for me” and “I enjoyed the site visits”.
How to Apply for a Work Experience Placement
If you would like to become a Planning and Building Control Officer for a week then you should apply for a placement on the Planning and Building Control work experience programme. The following forms should be downloaded and completed by your School representative and Parent(s) or Guardian(s). Alternatively, if you would like an application pack to be sent to you in the post please contact the Work Experience Co-ordinator whose contact details are shown at the bottom of this page. We cannot offer you a placement until the completed application form and capabilities assessment have been received.
Confirmation of Placement and Student Schedule
Once the completed application form and capabilitites assessment form has been received and we have arranged your placement with each of our teams you will receive a confirmation letter setting out the dates and times you will be expected to attend, a schedule and general information about your placement. You will be required to complete and return the confirmation slip contained within your confirmation letter to us within 7 days of the date you received the letter. If we do not receive the confirmation slip within 7 days, we will assume you do not wish to attend and your placement will be cancelled.
Disclaimer: Please note that all work experience placements will last for a pre-agreed fixed term and are unpaid. Walsall Council will not cover travel, food or any other expenses. Although we will do all we can to offer you a work experience placement, we cannot always guarantee availability on the dates you have requested.
On completion of the programme
On completing the Planning and Building Control work experience programme you will be issued with a certificate and a letter will be sent to your School representative and parent(s)/guardian(s) summarising the feedback you received from the mentors during your placement. The certificate and letter can be placed on your record of acheivement file which is an excellent way of showcasing your experience of working within a professional environment.
Work Experience at Walsall Council
Walsall Council is the biggest employer in the area, and there are a huge range of career opportunities – from gardening to office work, IT to Accountancy and lots more and can provide work experience placements for young people and adults alike. For more information please follow the following link.
Contact us
Work Experience Co-ordinator
Regeneration - Planning and Building Control
2nd Floor, Civic Centre
Darwall Street
Walsall
WS1 1DG
Email planningservices@walsall.gov.uk
Telephone (01922) 652548
Textphone and TextBox 0845 111 2910
Translation Line (01922) 652426
Fax (01922) 623234
Visit us
At the First Stop Shop www.walsall.gov.uk/first_stop_shop.htm
Office opening times
Monday: 8.45am – 5.15pm
Tuesday: 8.45am – 5.15pm
Wednesday: 9.30am – 5.15pm
Thursday: 8.45am – 5.15pm
Friday: 8.45am - 4.45pm
This page was last updated on 10 March 2010