Member Article

Beyond Housing bucks the trend, offering young people new opportunities despite downturn

Beyond Housing is countering the current downward trend in employment options by recruiting seven new apprentices.

As many businesses across the country continue to feel the pinch from months of COVID-19 induced closure, furloughing and reduced income, high quality training and employment opportunities have become significantly harder to access.

Despite ongoing restrictions, Beyond Housing has remained committed to its well-established apprenticeship programme and has this year provided career-building placements for seven more young people who will be based in Scarborough or Redcar:

• Niamh Watson, age 17 - Finance Apprentice • Ben Passman, age 16 - Business Admin Apprentice • Owen Dickinson, age 19 - Business Admin Apprentice • Thomas Park, age 19 - Electrical Apprentice • Max Butler, age 17 - Joinery Apprentice • Jack Bushby, age 16 - Painting Apprentice • Ricky Wood, age 27 - Joinery Apprentice

First-year apprentices at Beyond Housing can expect to earn £5.20 per hour, much higher than the present £4.15 national minimum wage for apprentices. After completing the first year of their course, they will receive a significant raise in hourly pay, to £9.30 per hour. This is currently the Living Wage Foundation recommended hourly rate of income based on living costs.

The housing association has a strong track record with apprentices, with 100% of its 12 recruits in 2018 still employed at the company – 64% of whom are working through the next level of their apprenticeship and 36% having graduated and secured permanent jobs with Beyond Housing.

Emma Tooth, Apprentice & Volunteer Team Leader at Beyond Housing said: “We’re really pleased to be welcoming these seven young people to the Beyond Housing family. We fully understand the impact that the pandemic has had on school leavers and job seekers and are glad that our continued commitment to apprenticeships will provide some relief across our communities in the Redcar and Scarborough areas.”

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