Warrington Collegiate supports Golden Gates biggest ever recruitment drive
Warrington Collegiate supports Golden Gates biggest ever recruitment drive
Golden Gates Housing Trust (GGHT) are celebrating the completion of its biggest ever recruitment drive, having provided opportunities for up to 77 new staff within the Trust and its partners in just over two months.
GGHT have worked in partnership with Warrington Collegiate to provide pre-employment training to help young people and those who have been out of work to secure these trainee positions. Warrington Collegiate have also provided training to the candidates in Plumbing, Carpentry and Joinery and Painting and Decorating, whilst also offering qualifications in Health & Safety and Manual Handling to enhance individual CVs.
Debbie Warren, Project Co-ordinator, Warrington Collegiate said: “We work very closely with GGHT, and believe their approach to working with tenants and local unemployed people in trying to find them work is terrific. The current initiatives, funded by the Skills Funding Agency and the European Social Fund are helping local people into work with training, providing them with qualifications and with progressions to an apprenticeship. We hope to continue our relationship with GGHT and work with them on future.
The new positions, a mixture of trainee schemes and permanent roles, have been created as a result of the Trust bringing forward plans to invest up to £105m in its tenants’ homes and neighbourhoods throughout Warrington. A total of 35 new roles have been created within the Trust’s Property Services division including electricians, plumbers, plasterers, joiners, roofers and kitchen fitters. These have been joined by 11 new trainees aged 16-24 working in a range of roles in the Trust’s Housing Management and Business Services division and recruited with the support of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and Warrington Borough Council.
A further 25 new trainees will also be working in the Trust’s Property Services division on 12 month fixed-term contracts with support towards obtaining a Level two or Level three qualification.
The Trust has also secured employment opportunities for six local people with their partners Bramalls Construction Limited as part of the Fusion 21 Framework.
The new recruits also join the Trust’s 10 apprentices who joined in September 2011 and are currently working in a range of specialist roles including housing management, business administration, plumbing, plastering, joinery as well as electricians.
GGHT made a commitment to its tenants when it transferred in November 2010 that they would create employment opportunities for tenants and other residents from the area’s most deprived wards. Through the various recruitment campaigns that the Trust has organised with its partners they have also effectively targeted the long-term unemployed and local young people who were not in employment, education or training.
Chair of the GGHT Board Roy Smith, said: “It was fantastic to meet all of these new recruits as they start their careers with GGHT and our partners. The new recruits will help us to further improve the services we offer to our customers and will play a key role as we deliver improvements to our homes
and neighbourhoods. We recognise that many people in our local communities are struggling to
find work at present. We are committed to supporting the local economy and these initiatives are providing real opportunities for our tenants and young people to get into work.”
New trainee, Mobarak Rashid said, “While I was studying I was worried I wouldn’t find work as employers were not taking on people without experience. However, because Golden Gates Housing Trust were recruiting so many apprentices, this made me feel more confident about my chances of
getting one of the jobs on offer. My job as a Customer Communications Administrative Assistant is a fantastic opportunity to develop a career within the organisation and gain experience, skills and qualifications. The staff at GGHT have been really friendly and made me feel very welcome.”
Picture: Warrington Collegiate and GGHT staff and the new recruits celebrate