Published February 28th, 2019
A Cornish social housing provider is celebrating a milestone in its recruitment of apprentices, with 50 hired over the last ten years.
St Austell-based Ocean Housing Group started its apprenticeship programme in 2008, offering vocational training in a variety of trades and business services.
Ocean Housing Group apprentices will be key contenders in this year’s Apprenticeship Games, organised by Cornwall College. Teams from the south west’s leading apprenticeship employers will be competing in a series of exciting and interactive challenges to be crowned ‘apprentice team of the year’, as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2019, which takes place from 4 to 8 March.
It is one of many initiatives that the company is involved with to promote the construction and social housing sector as a career of choice.
Heather Taylor, HR coordinator for the Ocean Housing Group said, “We actively work with local schools and colleges to advise of the career opportunities available with us, as well as provide a broader understanding of the roles and trades that people could get full training for.”
Apprenticeships involve a combination of work and study, and are a good way to gain skills, practical experience and an income whilst attaining a nationally recognised qualification. It can take between one and four years to complete an apprenticeship, depending on the level of programme and the industry sector.
In the last academic year 814,800 people participated in an apprenticeship in England, with 375,800 starts and 276,200 achievements. In this period, 49% of apprenticeships were started by women, the first time since 2009/10 that this figure was less than the amount of men starting an apprenticeship.
“The Ocean Housing Group is actively encouraging women into a career in property and construction, and has a vision to demonstrate the wide range of roles women currently hold within our organisation, to students at recruitment events,” said Heather. “Around a quarter of our trade apprentices are female – inspiring for an industry which is not typically promoted to women.”
21-year old Daisy Herdman is a level two carpentry apprentice, who started the scheme in August 2017.
She said: “I began working with Ocean Housing in the property maintenance team, and then for the last four months I have been working with Gilbert & Goode on construction sites. I’ve experienced everything from laying foundations to topping out.
“The practical experience helps my studies hugely, by allowing me to constantly use and apply the skills I am learning. The theory and practical go hand-in-hand, I wouldn’t be able to do one without the other.
“I really enjoy doing my apprenticeship with Ocean, it is a great company to work for and a great team to be a part of.”
The Ocean Housing Group is proud to retain 74% of its apprentices into full employment once they have completed the scheme, and 12% have been promoted within their role in the last three years.
Applications for 2019/20 apprenticeships with the Ocean Housing Group will open this spring. For more information visit oceanhousing.com.
