Wolverhampton Homes has won a national award for its apprenticeship programme, beating off competition from nationally and internationally acclaimed companies such as Nokia, Vodafone and Asda.
The housing provider’s Learning, Employment and Achievement Programme, dubbed ‘LEAP’, was named overall winner of the national Peer Awards for Excellence at a ceremony in London at the end of 2013. IT also won the ‘Business Awareness for the Community’ award.
Launched in 2012, the LEAP programme has helped more than 80 council tenants and their families to get work experience, training and qualification opportunities in a bid to get more council tenants into work.
LEAP has taken on 36 apprentices so far and has seen 14 tenants secure full time jobs. One LEAP graduate and Wolverhampton Homes’ tenant, Michelle Sawyer, who left school with no qualifications and had never worked before enrolling on LEAP, was recently named ‘Apprentice of the Year’ for the West Midlands.
Mark Henderson, director of housing, Wolverhampton Homes, said, “We are so proud of all our apprentices and the work they’ve put in to make the most of the opportunities they’ve been given through LEAP. To see Wolverhampton Homes recognised by peers and coming out on top against some of the biggest companies in the UK and indeed the world really is quite something.”
