Housing association expands its Modern Apprenticeship programme

May 7, 2018 / Keith Osborne
Housing association expands its Modern Apprenticeship programme

With hundreds of new homes planned for construction, Queens Cross Housing Association (QCHA) in Glasgow is expanding its Modern Apprenticeship programme to give young people in the area a chance to start a trade skills career.

“Modern Apprenticeships are a fantastic way of getting on-the-job training while getting paid, and we are keen to expand the number of opportunities we can offer young people in the area. The variety of jobs we have within the association is hugely diverse and we want our training opportunities to reflect this,” says Queens Cross’s head of HR, Lynne MacDonald.

The association will bring on a new trainee electrician and an apprentice plumber will join the scheme that has brought on two Business Administration MA’s who currently work at head office.

With a current stock of over 4,000 homes and many more lined up for the medium term, the new roles will offer comprehensive work experience to the new youngsters. The apprentice electrician will have tasks including installation, maintenance and repair of services such as lighting, sockets, heating controls and fire alarms, while the young plumber will be installing and maintaining hot and cold water systems, central heating, and drainage.

QCHA currently offers short-term placements to local schools to give pupils a taste of what working for them involves, with the long-term aim of showing the benefits in working for them. “With the continuing expansion of our stock, 600 new homes are planned for Hamiltonhill over the next few years, we will need more qualified and motivated staff to help us maintain and manage our homes,” adds MacDonald.

One example of someone who has achieved a successful career with QCHA is Chris Campbell, who began as an apprentice plumber with Queens Cross when he was 16 and has stayed with the organisation for 20 years, twice winning the title of Plumber of the Year.“I’ve a great bunch of people I work with and apprenticeships are a great opportunity to get on the work ladder and become a tradesperson,” he says. “It would take a lot for me to leave. I really like working with the community, my job satisfaction comes from working with tenants.”

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