INSIGHTS: Is it time to make transport planning more “sexy”?

I think most people who know me are aware that Midlands Connect only takes up 80% of my workweek; for the other 20%, I am a Teaching Fellow at Aston University.  As we move into graduation season, I’m left to wonder what we can do to attract more people into the profession.

This year I am graduating two students, one who is moving into a management role at a bus company and the other consultancy.  But then I look at the number of students graduating in Geography or Civil Engineering and wonder how may of them will end up in Transport Planning.

A quick poll amongst my peers suggests that this is the “normal” route into the industry – but why?  People fall into this sector and enjoy it so why is it not chosen from the start.

It’s not a bad thing! This alignment of sectors means that we have transport planners who understand people (sociologists), understand the need for movement (geographers), how to build structures (the Civils), how to model the future (the mathematicians), and the list goes on.

But why do people have to “fall” into the industry to appreciate it?  We all need transport, we all use transport – in fact, it is one of the more appropriate pub/cafe conversations we all fall into. Buses, trains, potholes, Amazon deliveries, the impact of new housing - the demand on our infrastructure is extensive, and we as a nation all want to talk (or complain) about it.

So, what can we do as an industry? Why are we not attractive enough to young people entering the workforce?  The opportunities for growth and travel are there, the salaries are competitive, and the security of employment is high.  

Is it true we are just not sexy enough?  Or are we just not loud enough?  Transport is a sector that, when it runs smoothly, people are happy – just look at the transport provision for major events, we only hear about it when things go wrong. So, should we be focusing our attention on the leavers of further education or should we have 11-year-olds dreaming of careers using WebTAG?

As with so many things, it’s all about the narrative. There are plenty of teenagers who have an interest in transport, but how many of them realise that there is a career in it?  How do we work with schools?  Do we offer work experience placements?  Do we talk about the importance of our work with friends and family, do we emphasise the success we have, or are we very British and focus on the negative

Whatever we are doing, things need to change. with an ageing workforce, we need to ensure that the industry is left in safe hands and has both the experience and enthusiasm to keep pushing for the need to change.

Sarah Spink is the Strategic Partnerships Lead at Midlands Connect.