Apprentices are Poised to Make their Mark at National Apprenticeship Week

Apprentices at Osborne Property Services are gearing up for a programme of community activity and celebrations to mark National Apprenticeship Week.
Osborne’s Apprenticeship Awards are in their third year and during the course of next week will be presented to celebrate the huge success and commitment of their apprentices.

Some exciting initiatives have also been programmed next week providing apprentices with a great opportunity to get involved in projects that will give something back to the communities in which they work.  In Waltham Forest they will be helping to build a cycle workshop where old bicycles will be up-cycled by young people from challenging backgrounds at Higham Hub and then provided to the local residents to use encouraging healthy living.  Apprentices will also be lending a hand to build a garden structure for the pupils at the Whitefield Academy to enjoy: a local school for students with special educational needs.

Osborne Property Services, who look after the repair and maintenance of more than 60,000 homes for customers across London and the South East, take apprenticeships seriously.

Currently, the firm is supporting 31 apprentices across the business in a variety of roles from Maintenance Operatives to Managers, Business Administrators and Surveyors.

Osborne’s Property Services Managing Director, Carol Bailey, explains:

“Providing employment opportunities in our local communities is a commitment that we are proud of.  Our mentored training apprenticeship programme means that we maintain a local employment base and contribute to developing careers. This is especially important with the shortage of skilled tradespeople within the industry.Apprenticeships bring true business benefits too.  We are developing a pool of talent who are motivated, committed and loyal.  So as far as we’re concerned it’s a win-win situation.”

Aaron Maskell has worked at Osborne for just over three years and has recently embarked on a Supply Chain Operations Level 2 Apprenticeship, supported by Central Sussex College.

Aaron said: “What I have learnt so far has helped me grow within my chosen field. It has given me the confidence to progress and the hunger to learn and do more. Doing an apprenticeship isn’t like being back at school or college as you are learning something that you want to develop a career in.”