Apprenticeships a commitment to be proud of

Providing employment opportunities and developing people is a commitment that Osborne is proud of.

Osborne Communities, who look after the repair and maintenance of more than 60,000 homes across the South East, currently supports 31 apprentices across the business in a variety of roles from Maintenance Operatives to Managers, Business Administrators and Surveyors.

Ensuring they are supported every step of the way on a mentored programme is Training and Development Co-ordinator Serena Phillips, who spoke to us part of National Apprenticeship Week.
“I have always been passionate about helping people realise their full potential” she says.
“I truly believe in apprenticeships and have seen the enormous impact they can have on people. To me they are the future, combining work with a qualification. You can now even achieve a degree through an apprenticeship.”

And Phillips, who has been supporting apprentices for five years after previous roles including Family Support Worker and Training and Development Manager, points to her own daughter as an example of the benefits an apprenticeship can have.

“I would have loved my daughter to have gone to University but deep down I knew it wasn’t for her” she explains.

“Instead she applied for an apprenticeship with the BBC and out of 1500 applicants for 10 apprenticeships she was lucky enough to be offered one.  She thoroughly enjoyed it and now the BBC has extended her contract.”

“Through tailored support I hope to build an apprentice programme at Osborne that will lead the way in the construction industry and demonstrate the range of roles open to people.”
Carol Bailey, Managing Director (Property Services) at Osborne Communities, added: “Providing employment opportunities in our local communities is a commitment that we are proud of.
“Our mentored 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.”