Public Authorities across the country are demonstrating the ambition and vision to proactively plan for well-designed places that are spatially, socially and environmentally inclusive and sustainable. But one of the biggest barriers many Authorities face is recruiting, training and retaining staff with the right skills and expertise.
We offer placements to public organisations that share our ambitions and can demonstrate a commitment to the programme at a senior level.
We recruit and select talented, motivated and experienced built environment practitioners - Associates - who want to work for the public good. They bring diverse skills and backgrounds to fixed-term placements in progressive Authorities. Unlike agencies, we want to see our Associates stay on in their Authorities, we want to embed learning within organisations and champion public service as a career.
We place Associates in local or city authority, combined authorities, development corporations or publicly-led delivery vehicles, hospitals and other public bodies. Expressions of interest are welcomed from individual Authorities, from groups of more than one Authority and from individual Authorities who wish to apply for more than one role.
We offer a cost-effective route for Authorities to access high-quality built environment and additional expertise. As a not-for-profit our placements are an affordable alternative to recruiting through private agencies and our R&D programme helps prepare Associates for working within local government. In addition, if you choose to keep an Associate on beyond the end of their placement we do not charge a retention fee.
Public Practice offers placements that help build the public sector’s capacity for proactive planning - in its broadest sense.
The range of roles covers the full spectrum of built environment expertise, from design to development and delivery. Every placement is different - but what they have in common is that they create additionality for the Authority, make a positive impact on society, and fit with our mission as a social enterprise. Our Associates bring a diverse range of skills, experience and backgrounds from across the built environment industry and beyond. We break this down into 15 discipline types, although in practice Associates may bridge a number of categories, or not fit squarely into anyone: