Apprenticeship Strategy with Citizen Housing Bears Fruit

A major West Midlands-based housing association has given four Coventry apprentices the keys to their new careers after forming an employer partnership with a local college.

Coventry College has partnered with Citizen Housing Group to give four local apprentices industry-leading foundations to careers in the property, trade and business sectors.

Business Administration Apprentice Leah Sanders has been joined by Carpentry Apprentices Ciaran Lawless and Max Hodgson, and Plumbing and Heating Apprentice Luke Hughes, at the social housing provider’s Coventry site.

The apprentices will support the administrative and premises maintenance teams at Citizen Housing as part of a group-wide recruitment drive as the college continues to expand its apprenticeship opportunities.

Leah said: “I believe choosing an apprenticeship was the best option for me as I get the full support needed from the college while gaining my qualification, while getting professional experience.”

Lisa Robertson, Head of Learning and Development at Citizen Housing, which owns and manages more than 30,000 properties in the West Midlands, said: “It has been really great that we can work in partnership with Coventry College to support our apprentices.

“Our apprenticeship programme supports Citizen’s objective of being an employer of choice by supporting talent development and progression planning within Citizen.”

Emma Ingram, Head of Employer Engagement and Sales at Coventry College, added: ‘‘Apprentices are crucial in helping Coventry and Warwickshire employers reassess their recruitment needs after the effects of Brexit and the pandemic on local industry.

“We understand that the College is at the heart of this drive to improve local skills gaps and we are proud, as an FE training provider, to be working in partnership with Citizen Housing, which is one of the leading social housing providers in the UK.

“We have specialist staff ready to support our employer partners to help develop more workplace opportunities – which will benefit both students and employers.”

For more information visit www.coventrycollege.ac.uk/apprenticeships