SARH celebrates the success of its apprentices

Stafford’s leading landlord, and one of the town’s largest employers, has been celebrating the achievements of its latest cohort of apprentices.

In its 10th anniversary year Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH) has seen 10 young people working as apprentices in a diverse range of roles – from trades to business administration.

Amongst them were Tom Bailey, Adela Gilmour and Francesca Walters who have just completed 12- month apprenticeships and are now looking forward to taking the next steps in their chosen careers.

At the end of their year with the organisation, which has seen them study for NVQs alongside their work, the young trio from Stafford took part in a special business event. This incorporated a range of activities and saw the apprentices deliver a presentation in a setting similar to The Apprentice television show.

Adela, 19, who has been working in Customer Services, is looking forward to a second year at SARH, this time with the development team, whilst Francesca, 24, will stay with the housing department.

Meanwhile Tom, 19 is pursuing his passion for computers and is returning to college to study IT.

Penny Johnson, HR Partner at SARH, commented: “Over the past year, all three apprentices have excelled and we are really proud of them.

“As well as learning ‘on the job’ and successfully completing NVQ Level 2s through Learn Direct, they have benefitted from the advice of personal mentors and our Apprentice Academy.

“In fact, the Academy has played a vital role in their development, helping them to identify their strengths, build their self-confidence and improve important life skills such as interview techniques.”

Employing a total of 173 people across the organisation, SARH has recently recruited four more apprentices and is offering opportunities in Business Administration and trades such as plumbing and electrics.

Karen Armitage, SARH Chief Executive, added: “Investing in the future of the business through training is one of our core values, and our successful apprenticeship programme is also providing real opportunities for young people in Stafford and surrounding areas.

“With the latest appointments, we will have seen a total of 27 apprentices learning on the job here at SARH over the past decade, a fantastic achievement for an organisation of our size.”

“Meanwhile our congratulations go to Adela, Francesca and Tom on completing their apprenticeship, and well done to their mentors and colleagues who have helped them along the way.”

SARH apprentices and mentors pictured at the organisation’s offices: Back (left to right) Penny Johnson, Chris Dixon, Jo Hough (Assistant Director of Organisational Development), Tom Bailey and front (left to right) Martha Cooper, Francesca Walters, Adela Gilmour, Keira Morton and Denise Johnson.