Time for new talent

In challenging times it’s more important than ever that housing organisations have the people they need to deliver great homes and great services.

I was privileged to meet some budding housing professionals as part of the Graduate Employment Mentoring Programme during the Rising Stars process and I was so inspired by their passion.

It was therefore an easy decision to choose apprenticeships as the theme for this edition of Inside Housing, which I’m delighted to have the opportunity to guest edit. So why is this so important?

‘Many housing organisations already run excellent apprenticeship programmes and such work shows massive potential.”

We know that work at every level of housing is more challenging than it has ever been. The rent reduction, local authority cuts, welfare reform and a host of other challenges have all had a significant impact on our customers and changed the way we deliver services.

Frontline staff, managers and leaders all face new challenges, and new challenges require new skills. We also know that many leaders in housing will retire in the next decade.

So it’s absolutely crucial that we attract new talent to the sector. The government’s reforms of apprenticeships, including the new standards for housing, represent a huge opportunity to do exactly that.

This is a great chance for us to promote housing as a career of choice and bring through the people to deliver the housing we so desperately need.

Apprenticeships are a great way to invest in the future of an organisation, and a positive step towards enticing more people into a profession that can contribute so well to society as a whole.

Many housing organisations already run excellent apprenticeship programmes and such work shows the massive potential our sector has to equip people with the skills they need to excel.

And if any sector should be making the most of the government’s reforms of apprenticeships, then it should be us. We all strive to build communities, and helping people to gain the skills they need and to get onto the career ladder is just as important a reason to get apprenticeships right as future-proofing the sector is.

Although the stories featured in this edition show the sector still has a challenge on its hands to maximise the impeding changes to apprenticeships, I hope above anything it showcases what an excellent opportunity this represents for housing associations to enrich the sector, their own organisations and - most importantly of all - their communities.

Alice Smith, business improvement officer, Melin Homes