As regular readers will know, Housing Technology is a great supporter of housing providers’ apprenticeship schemes so we’re delighted to report that Salix Homes in Salford has just taken on nine new apprentices (from 150 applicants) in its environmental maintenance and security teams. Salix Homes also reported that it was one of the first housing providers in the country to pay its trainees the Living Wage.
One of the new apprentices is Salix Homes’ tenant Paul Vella who has joined the housing provider’s security team after facing homelessness. He said, “I had been out of work for about six months and had been looking for a permanent job or training opportunity. This is just everything I wanted and I’m loving it. I have a new home, a new job and it’s made such a huge difference to my life.”
Sue Sutton, executive director of operations, Salix Homes, said, “We are very proud of our apprenticeship programme which exists to help tenants like Paul to create a better life for themselves.
“Salix Homes is able to invest significantly in Salford thanks to tenants voting to transfer their homes from the council to us, so as part of that we are creating hundreds of new jobs and training opportunities for local people.”
The apprenticeships are run in conjunction with the procurement consortium Procure Plus and all trainees can work towards an NVQ in either horticulture or customer services as well as the security industry authority licence.
