Connells Group has pledged to take on 150 apprentices across its head office and estate agency subsidiaries over the next year.
The Group’s commitment is in cooperation with the Skills Funding Agency’s Apprenticeship Pledge-O-Meter, ahead of National Apprenticeship Week (March 14 – 18).
Connells has its own apprenticeship scheme which launched in January 2013.
It offers young people aged 16 to 23 the opportunity to ‘earn while they learn’ and develop skills across a multitude of disciplines.
These include residential sales, lettings, mortgage services, business administration, customer service, HR, payroll, recruitment, and survey and valuation.
In just three years, nearly 200 apprentices have achieved their NVQ qualifications and continued into full-time roles within the company, resulting in an above average completion rate of 70%.
With nearly 130 apprenticeships currently live across the business, the Group’s pledge means that apprentices will make up nearly 4.5% of the company’s total headcount, which currently stands at 6,400 employees.
David Livesey, Connells Group chief executive, said: “Our apprenticeship scheme signifies an incredible opportunity both for young people wanting to get into the industry and for us as an employer.
“We offer our apprentices all the coaching and training they need to be the best in the business, as well as excellent career progression.
“With ‘Rising to the Top’ as this year’s theme for National Apprenticeship Week we want to highlight the success of many of our former apprentices – some of whom are already close to manager level just two years after finishing their apprenticeships.”
Comments (3)
I am looking to sponsor students through their college courses as pre-apprenticeships, not to employ cheap staff but to find talent. The only difficulty is with the local college who will not pass on the offer to their students.
This was a clever move by Connells to get cheap recruitment at the same time as giving them a better chance than having to work at MacDonald’s. I just wonder how many are actually going to work in the industry and how many have done so since 2013. Apprenticeship is a clever offering to cream the best for oneself when someone else is providing the fodder. Apprenticeship used to be offered as an investment by the employer as a life time employment opportunity but good old Tony Blair killed that off with legislation that has never been repealed.
we want to highlight the success of many of our former apprentices – some of whom are already close to manager level just two years after finishing their apprenticeships.”
Yep but they are great estate agents ready to lead a team and value homes correctly and offer super service with a whole 2 years experience!