Wolverhampton Homes Signs Apprenticeships Charter

Published by Christine Howles for Wolverhampton Homes in Housing and also in Communities

Wolverhampton Homes has celebrated National Apprenticeships Week by signing up to a Charter for Apprentices, assuring rights to decent pay and conditions for apprentices.

The TUC’s learning and skills organisation, unionlearn, introduced the charter so that organisations can commit to provide high quality apprenticeships as a training route for the skilled workforce of the future.

The Charter offers eight guarantees to apprentices including getting fair pay, a contract of employment, access to a union and high quality training.

Wolverhampton Homes is offering apprenticeships through its Learning Employment Achievement Programme – or LEAP.

LEAP offers training in CV writing, interview skills and basic literacy and numeracy qualifications and general confidence building.

This is followed by an eight-week work experience programme and, if successful, they are considered for a 12 month apprenticeship scheme.   

Fifteen people have now been taken on as apprentices since LEAP started.

A signing ceremony was attended by the apprentices, representatives from unionlearn, UCATT and Unison.

One of the LEAP apprentices is Adam Dewitt-Bukater, 33, from Bilston.

He said: “After serving in the Royal Navy and working with BT Global, a family tragedy brought me back to the Midlands where I found myself unemployed at the worst possible time.

“I heard about LEAP which offers a real chance for people to learn new skills and help them to get back into the world of work, in some cases for the first time.

“LEAP gave me a chance to show what skills I had and how much of an asset I could be to the company and I’m now an apprentice with the ICT team.

“I’m not sure what road my life would have been on without Wolverhampton Homes, but thanks to them I have new goals and chance to have a brighter future.”

Lesley Roberts, Chief Executive at Wolverhampton Homes, said: “As a major local employer, Wolverhampton Homes recognises it is in an ideal position to offer genuine work experience and skills training for its residents.

“LEAP provides high quality training with apprenticeships paid at a fair wage and with excellent support and mentoring.

“By signing the Apprenticeships Charter, we are demonstrating that Wolverhampton Homes is not only serious about providing decent homes and excellent services, but is committed to delivering high quality apprenticeships which offer life changing opportunities for people living in our homes.”

Councillor Peter Bilson, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Prosperity said: “LEAP is a good opportunity for tenants who want to get into work and the signing of the Charter shows that Wolverhampton Homes is committed to providing good quality training and conditions for each apprentice.

“This programme offers great help for people to overcome the challenge of needing experience to get a job, but not being able to get a job without experience. It’s a great boost for the city.”