Sites for sore eyes

Over the last four months developers in some of the UK’s biggest cities have been shouting very publicly about the apprenticeship and training opportunities they provide.

Hoardings have sprung up in major cities across the UK on building sites in Birmingham, Leeds, Salford, Liverpool and London - making declarations about the number of apprentices in situ. Vans promoting apprenticeships have been spotted in a variety of locations including Birmingham and Rotherham.

It’s all been part of an incredible effort from the sector to back Inside Housing’s Homes Work campaign - designed to show how the housing sector helps boost local economies, tackle unemployment and push the sector to do even more to promote apprenticeships and training opportunities.

As you can see from the images accompanying this feature, it’s been a huge success. And that’s not all. Social landlords across the UK have also been signing up in their droves and making specific pledges about what they will do to help people improve their chances of gaining employment.

So what has the sector made of the campaign, which we’re running in partnership with social enterprise Building Lives, who’s backed it, and has it achieved its goals?

Apart from the hoardings, there has also been an impressive commitment from landlords in terms of numbers. The 77 social landlords who have made specific pledges so far have promised to provide a total of 1,892 apprenticeships and training places in 2014/15, either directly or through their supply chains. Twenty-seven of the backers which pledged numbers were from arm’s-length management organisations which promised to deliver 429 apprenticeships between them - meaning that proportionally, ALMOs are by far the most vocal about their commitment to providing apprenticeships.

Helping people
If you need any examples of why investment in the housing sector does more to help the UK than simply building homes, then this campaign has done just that. From Bradford-based housing association Incommunities’ GEMs training programme, through to 45,000-home Glasgow Housing Association’s community janitors programme, the campaign has also flagged up individual inspirational schemes and stories about how they are changing people’s lives.

Liverpool Mutual Homes put up four hoardings across Liverpool last week and has already delivered 14 apprenticeships this year, with ‘more expected in the next few months’. It will also be providing a minimum of 26 paid work placements this year.

Steve Coffey, chief executive of the 15,000-home landlord, says he liked the fact that the campaign ‘recognises that apprenticeships bring economic benefits to local communities’.

‘Housing and construction requires a diverse range of skills and apprenticeships are a fantastic way for people to get hands-on training and experience as well as developing an active CV that employers look for,’ he states. ‘Finding work is still very hard for young people, so the campaign’s aim to create an online resource for schools and colleges to access and help find placements for youngsters is a great idea - the sector can really make a difference here.’

A web resource to fulfil this final campaign aim goes live today. Check it out at www.insidehousing.co.uk/homeswork.

ALMO Salix Homes has also put up hoardings promoting apprenticeships on four sites across Salford. It will provide a total of 22 apprenticeships this year.

Sue Sutton, acting chief executive of the 8,500-home landlord, says: ‘Salix Homes is proud to be supporting Inside Housing’s Homes Work campaign to help raise the profile of apprenticeships and the important role they play in the housing sector.

‘The housing industry provides a fantastic opportunity for young people and people out of work to learn and gain new skills in a whole range of areas, from construction to customer service.’

Circle Housing will provide 50 apprenticeships in 2014/15. Mark Rogers, chief executive of the 64,000-home landlord, says that the housing sector is a ‘great place for apprenticeships to learn and develop for the future’.

‘Within Circle itself, we employ apprentices in more than 15 different teams across the organisation, including customer services, neighbourhoods, marketing and care and support,’ he states. ‘Nearly two thirds of these apprentices go on to permanent roles in the organisation every year.’ It also insists that repairs and maintenance contractors provide one apprenticeship opportunity for every £500,000 that Circle spends with them, he adds.

The campaign has also attracted attention outside the sector, with a number of high-profile backers, including business secretary Vince Cable, housing minister Kris Hopkins and shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds.

Going public
In an exclusive article for Inside Housing, Mr Hopkins said the campaign meant that people walking past building sites ‘will not only be able to see the new homes being delivered in their area, but also the jobs and employment opportunities this provided’ and that he would ‘encourage developers and social housing providers across the UK to sign up’.

Ms Reynolds stated that she wanted ‘to ensure that the next generation has access to those homes but also those jobs, which is why I warmly welcome the campaign’.

Contractor Willmott Dixon was a particularly enthusiastic backer, putting up a number of hoardings and placing the campaign logo on several of its vans.

Mick Williamson, managing director of Willmott Dixon Partnerships, says the contractor was proud to sign up.

‘Apprentices are the lifeblood of the construction industry, and housing projects are equipping thousands of people with skills to give them a rewarding long-term career with huge opportunities to grow and develop,’ he states.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles posed in front of the campaign logo on a visit to a Willmott Dixon site in London, while the leader of Birmingham Council, Sir Albert Bore, backed the campaign - also pictured in front of a Willmott Dixon hoarding - in the pages of local paper the Birmingham Mail.

This week’s Chartered Institute of Housing conference marks the official close of the campaign. But we will continue to push developers to publicly state the number of apprentices provided on building sites and to shout about social housing providers’ schemes to help people gain skills, training and sustainable employment.

Over the last few months, Homes Work has helped evidence exactly how investment in housing changes lives and helps communities thrive. As the main political parties draft their housing policies for the 2015 general election this is something they should bear clearly in mind.

Ultimately, however, it’s been about the apprentices and trainees themselves. Many of today’s trainees will be working in the housing sector for years to come.

David Montague, chief executive of 71,000-home L&Q, which will provide 70 apprenticeships by April 2015, sums it up perfectly.

‘Homes Work has drawn out some inspirational stories and it’s very encouraging to see the sector united in its support for this campaign,’ he states. As our figures prove, collectively and individually, housing providers efforts truly are changing people’s lives.