St Leger Homes of Doncaster Helps Young People Into Careers
7th August 2012
A Doncaster housing organisation has teamed up with a local college to arrange an open day for young people, after being inundated with applications for six apprenticeship roles.
St Leger Homes of Doncaster, the organisation that manages 21,000 homes for Doncaster Council, received nearly 200 applications from young people for the six apprenticeships.
Housing staff asked Doncaster College to join forces with them to host an open day, where they could invite those candidates who were not successful at gaining an apprenticeship to show them what other full time opportunities are on offer.
Besides relevant courses on offer with the education provider, the college has also invited Job Centre Plus as well as other local employers to take part in the open day.
Karen Lawson, St Leger Homes' training co-ordinator, said:
"We have received so many excellent applications but at the end of the day we can only appoint six apprentices. We have used a robust recruitment process to select the successful ones.
"We know jobs in different trades, such as plastering, electrical and plumbing are popular so we asked the college if we could work together to offer these young people other potential alternatives such as college courses or apprenticeships.
"We want to help the young people who applied to have an apprenticeship with us as much as we possibly can by showing them different ways they can pursue their chosen career."
__________
Stoke-on-Trent Considers Empty Homes Purchase Offer Plans
7th August 2012
Empty homes in Stoke-on-Trent could be offered to residents for a "nominal fee" in a bid to improve neighbourhoods.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is looking at accepting and match-funding a £3.6 million government grant awarded last year.
Under a proposed scheme, the Council would offer prospective owners a loan of up to £30,000 to improve the properties, on the understanding they live there for a certain period.
There were more than 4,700 vacant dwellings in 2011.
