Member Article

Mentoring scheme recognised in regional awards

Chester-le-Street housing provider, Cestria Community Housing has been shortlisted for the North East final of the National Apprenticeship Awards 2014.

The organisation, which owns and manages 4,200 homes across the district has been shortlisted in the Newcomer Employer of the Year award category in recognition for its mentoring scheme.

The innovative scheme offers young apprentices working within the business vital professional and personal development through mentoring by existing members of staff.

The National Apprenticeship Awards, now in their eleventh year, celebrate the achievements of the country’s most outstanding apprentices and apprenticeship employers. The award winners will be announced at a ceremony organised by the National Apprenticeship Service, which will be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Durham on September 18, 2014.

Suzanne Jobson, Financial Inclusion Manager at Cestria Community Housing, said: “This is fantastic news and recognises the quality of the programme and our commitment to developing and supporting young apprentices.

“Our apprentices say they feel valued, listened to, and part of a team, whilst gaining on the job skills. They all agree they have had more opportunities than they ever expected through our apprenticeships and our staff who work with our apprentices have also developed their skills and understanding of young people within the workplace.”

Sue Husband, Executive Director Apprenticeships and Delivery at the Skills Funding Agency said: “Apprenticeships are thriving in England, and it’s not hard to see why. They offer ambitious young people and adults unrivalled career prospects, and give businesses an exceptional route to grow a highly qualified and motivated workforce.

“The National Apprenticeship Awards recognise the best of the best and are an excellent opportunity for individuals and employers to gain the credit they richly deserve for investing in their own futures. I am delighted that Cestria Community Housing has been short-listed, and would like to congratulate them on this success. All of the finalists should be extremely proud of their achievements.”

All North East winners will proceed through to a final national judging stage and the highest scoring Apprenticeship employer entries nationally will have the additional honour of featuring in the acclaimed England’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list, which will be produced by the National Apprenticeship Service in partnership with City & Guilds.

The national award winners will be revealed during an awards ceremony at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham on the 13 November 2014.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Craig Downs .