Two Vistry Group trainees are setting their sights on progressing up the career ladder just a few months after joining the national housebuilder.
Amelia Peet, 21, from Peterborough, and Rosie Howard, 41, from Bourne, were recruited at the end of last year by the East Midlands division of Vistry, a group which comprises Linden Homes, Bovis Homes and Vistry Partnerships.
Both working within the Linden Homes side of the business, Amelia has taken on the role of trainee sales consultant, while Rosie has been appointed as trainee site manager.
Based at the Vistry East Midlands divisional office in Peterborough, Amelia’s new role involves supporting the sales progression of four different Linden Homes developments across the region. Although she sold gym memberships during her previous job at a leisure centre, this is her first experience of selling property.
Amelia said: “I saw the position going online and thought that learning the whole process behind selling a home would be really interesting. It was a big transition from the health and social care course I studied at college, but I’m so glad I decided to make the jump.
“I originally considered going to university but was put off by the cost and knew workplaces valued actual experience. I was on the lookout for traineeships which offered progression, so this job came up at a really good time.”
Amelia’s role over the past five months has seen her dealing with home reservations, part exchanges and completions, as well as liaising with solicitors and financial advisors.
She said: “I really like that I am faced with something different every day – the queries are always changing. Despite working from home, the training I’ve received from the sales progressors has been excellent and I already feel like I’m getting to grips with the role.”
Rosie, who is working on-site at the Springfields development in Deeping St James, heard about the job from a friend who already works for the housebuilder.
Rosie had a varied career before she secured her new role in November, with spells working for Barclays and the Prison Service, but was familiar with property after most recently spending five-and-a-half years as a customer care professional for a family-run housebuilder.
Rosie said: “I had only ever worked on the admin and customer care side of housebuilding, so I was ready for a change in role and getting out on site in the fresh air really appealed to me. I’d always seen things from the moved-in customer perspective, so I was keen to see things from the construction side.”
Rosie’s day-to-day role now varies from ordering materials to supporting the running of the site. She said: “I’m out on site 80% of the time shadowing the site manager, so I’ve been gaining really hands-on experience. I’ve enjoyed being outdoors, especially given the circumstances, although adjusting to the unpredictable weather conditions has been a challenge!
“I was used to working with mainly women colleagues, so I was a bit nervous to start working on the construction site which is obviously quite a different environment. There was absolutely no need to worry because everyone has been friendly and welcoming.”
Both Amelia and Rosie have enjoyed the benefits of working for the national housebuilder.
Amelia said: “Vistry reward their staff really well and provide good incentives. We get commission on the houses we sell and the opportunity to be an employee of the quarter.”
Rosie said: “I’m enjoying getting experience within a big housebuilding company where the roles are well-structured and defined.”
The new trainees are already looking ahead to furthering their careers and enhancing their skills with Vistry’s support.
Amelia said: “I’m hoping to progress to a sales consultant in October which means I’ll get to be out on site working in the sales office.”
Rosie added: “This role means I am one step closer to becoming a site manager, which is my long-term goal.”
Dayna Toulson of Vistry Group
Two years further into her trainee programme is 21-year-old Dayna Toulson from Peterborough, who joined the technical department in August 2018.
The technical management trainee, who works at the Peterborough office, completed her BTEC higher diploma in construction and built environment in July last year.
She has since progressed and is now working towards a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in construction management at University Centre Peterborough, where she studies part-time one day a week.
Dayna said: “I started studying A Levels but because I didn’t want to pay to go to university, I decided to take a different route. I ended up working in a couple of retail jobs while I looked for apprenticeships.
“I gravitated towards a career in property because I’ve always been drawn to the architecture of buildings, so this technical apprenticeship really appealed to me.”
Dayna’s role has seen her liaising with the planning team, communicating with utility providers, and reviewing and distributing quotations to the land departments to assist in upcoming developments.
She said: “What I like the most is seeing our ideas on paper eventually come to life. It’s so interesting seeing how a list of bullet points on a page gives way to a real-life housing development a couple of years later.
“The construction field has a reputation for being quite a male-dominated industry – I want to change that by proving that women can succeed in the field too. Vistry is a great place to work for achieving this goal, as they support equal opportunities for men and women.”
The apprenticeship has opened up several avenues within the technical field for Dayna to pursue in the future. Once she has completed her two-year HNC, she will have the option to study for another year towards a Higher National Diploma (HND) in construction management.
She said: “It’s exciting to think how many different routes I can take as a result of my qualifications. The next role up is technical management assistant which I’m hoping to progress to soon.”
Find out more at vistrygroup.co.uk.
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