Platform Property apprentice campaign. A property maintenance company has announced the success of a recent recruitment drive which has increased its apprentice workforce.
Keen to play its part within both the local economies and communities in which it works, Platform Property Care – a subsidiary of one of the UK’s largest social landlords, Platform Housing Group – has recruited five new apprentices to various roles.
The new recruits are Declan Coleman, Alex Pugh, Sue Walker, Thomas Ransford and Josh Easton.
Nineteen year old Declan Coleman, from Malvern, Worcestershire, has joined Property Care as an apprentice carpenter; the apprenticeship, which will take two years to complete, is complemented by Declan studying a carpentry and joinery course at Hereford, Ludlow and North Shropshire College. Declan said : “I am really enjoying my apprenticeship so far; I hope to become fully qualified and work my way up the organisation. I always get the help I require and everybody treats each other with respect.”
Alex Pugh, aged 18, from Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire has also joined the company on a 4 year electrical apprenticeship; studying Level 3 Electrical Installations, also at Hereford, Ludlow and North Shropshire College, Alex studied Business, Maths and Physical Education A Levels at sixth form. Alex said : “My apprenticeship is such a fantastic opportunity and I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for me. I am really enjoying it so far, no two days are the same and there is always a variety of work. Platform made me feel so welcome right from the start.”
Interestingly, 380 applicants – out of the 538 recently advertised apprenticeships throughout Platform Property apprentice campaign – applied for the three electrical apprenticeships, proving how sought after such apprenticeships are.
The second electrical apprentice to join the company is Sue Walker from Redditch, also studying at Hereford, Ludlow and North Shropshire College; previously employed in administration, Sue combined her employment with studying NVQ Diplomas, Level 2 and Level 3, in Electrical Installations. Sue – who has previously completed work experience with Platform – said : “I’m looking forward to learning and developing my skills and building my knowledge to become a fully competent electrician. Prior to joining Platform I looked at other apprenticeships and concluded that Platform offered the best apprentice package making me feel that they value both their apprentices and their staff. I look forward to building my career with them.”
Thomas Ransford has started a 4 year electrical apprenticeship studying at Birmingham Electrical College. Tom said : “Doing an apprenticeship is the best way to obtain the skills and knowledge of a trade in a controlled environment making it easy to learn and progress in completing the course. I hope to become a worthwhile member of the Platform team; I am a firm believer that what you put in you will get out!”
The fifth newest apprentice is Josh Easton who has joined the social landlord on a carpentry apprenticeship. Since September 2021, 17 new apprentices have joined Platform Property Care; with 30 apprentices in total, this equates to 5 per cent of its total workforce.
Duncan Palmer, Head of Responsive Repairs at Platform Housing Group said : “After coming through an electrical apprenticeship myself, I cannot emphasise the importance of bringing through the next generation of trades people. With Property Care growing our own apprentices, we are able to instil our Platform values from day one. This is a fantastic opportunity for the apprentices to obtain a trade qualification whilst learning on the job.”
Platform Housing Group – which owns 46,000 homes in total – completed 1448 homes in 2019/20 (1,598 in 2018/19) at an investment of £258m (£228m in 2018/19). The Group also built more social rented homes – at a figure of 981 – during the past 2 years in England than any other provider, 523 in 2019/20, almost 33% of the total homes built.
Platform Housing Group’s operating area is from Herefordshire in the West to the Lincolnshire coast in the East, and from the Derbyshire Dales in the North to the Cotswolds in the South.
