IPI New Graduate Representative Message
Thursday, July 22, 2010
My name is Amy Hastings and I am the Graduate Representative on the Irish Planning Institute Council for the period 2010 to 2012.
It is intended that the IPI will undertake a programme of activities and provide a range of services, which will have a particular focus on Graduate Members. Priorities for the coming years include the agreement of reciprocal arrangements with professional planning institutes in other countries; the provision of CPD events, seminars and conferences to allow graduates to keep up-to-date and socialise with other graduates; and, the assessment of the feasibility of establishing volunteer initiatives for planners. Also, keep an eye out for the IPI’s Facebook page, which is due to go online in the next few weeks with news and updates on IPI events and activities.
I have worked as a planning consultant in private practice for eight years, during which time I qualified as a barrister and, subsequently, a planner. Having worked through the property boom years only to graduate as a planner in 2009 in the midst of the global economic crisis, it is clear to me that this is one of the most challenging times for many years for new graduate planners. Despite the difficulties facing new graduates, given the high numbers becoming involved in further education, community planning, volunteer schemes and sustainability initiatives, there can be no doubt that the current generation of graduate planners is amongst the most dedicated.
Graduate planners (or any other interested party) can contact me at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with any comments, suggestions, questions or issues that you might have now or over the course of the next two years. I would really like to hear from you so that we can make sure that the real issues affecting Graduate Members are kept high on the agenda for the IPI for the foreseeable future.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Amy Hastings
Graduate Representative