EIGHTEEN new apprentices from a range of backgrounds have joined Leicester City Council’s housing department to learn specialist craft skills.
The apprentices – who range in age from 16 to nearly 60 – will learn the skills needed to help keep the city’s 20,000 council houses in good repair.
They will train in carpentry and joinery, gas engineering, property maintenance and electrical installation, joining a team of approximately 350 craftspeople working across Leicester.
Combining on-the-job training with college learning, they will complete courses ranging in length from two and half to five years, coming out with qualifications at levels two and three – equivalent to GCSE and A-levels.
Apprentices receive at least the National Living Wage while they are training, and once they are qualified, they can start a job with the council.
The group includes two women, two care leavers, one ex-military and six people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, helping to reflect the diversity of the city. There is a wide age range, and one apprentice has also been taken on from the city council’s neighbourhood improvement team, which offers skills, qualifications and employment experience to people who are out of work.
Deputy city mayor for housing, economy and neighbourhoods, Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, said: “Our successful and popular housing apprenticeship scheme has been running for over 20 years now. It ensures we have the right people in place with the specialist skills needed to ensure that our housing stock is kept in good condition.
“This is particularly important because there is a housing crisis. We know how much demand there is for council homes, so it’s vital we maintain them.
“We are a leading social landlord with expanding stock, thanks to our commitment to building new council homes. We currently have 38 new homes on site at Saffron Velodrome.
“It’s fantastic that we are able to contribute to the local economy by offering quality skills training and a proven pathway for a wide range of people to start a career with us.”
Assistant city mayor for communities, adult learning, jobs and skills, Cllr Mustafa Malik, added: “I’m really pleased to see people from a diverse range of backgrounds coming into our apprenticeship scheme, helping to reflect the diversity of our city. As a large local employer, we want to lead by example – providing opportunities for enthusiastic people to build a career with us, whatever their background or starting point.”
New apprentice Evie Harris said: “My experience of the apprenticeship so far has been very educational, and has made me excited for the practical work. I want to set myself up for the future and build a solid foundation for a career in something I enjoy.”
Fellow new apprentice Sam Goacher-Hodgkiss added: “Coming from working with a small, family-run business, it has been a bit of a shock coming into this massive organisation, but I have enjoyed my first week and look forward to beginning on site with my mentor.”
Find out more about employment opportunities across the city at the Leicester Employment Hub website: leicesteremploymenthub.co.uk
Leicester City Council jobs, apprenticeships, placements and training opportunities can be found at leicester.gov.uk/jobs
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