Bright futures for Chester & District Housing Trust new recruits
A new scheme to get young people into work has already helped three new recruits find work at Chester & District Housing Trust (CDHT) with more to follow. Each successfully applied for the role through the Future Jobs Fund.
Shaun Murray (21) is now working in the Customer Services department at CDHT with Cerine Kennedy (19) and Richard Johnson (21) helping with administration in the Property and Housing Options departments. Richard Johnson said:
“It’s brilliant to be working for the Trust, I’m really enjoying the work and was made to feel really welcome. At the moment I’m working on setting up a database, spreadsheets and archiving for the department.”
Speaking about his route to CDHT he added; “From Bishops Blue Coat School I worked for the council in my gap year and then went to Chester University to study Business and Computer Science. For a number of reasons I dropped out, it wasn’t for me. Unemployed for a year, I was doing volunteer work with West Cheshire Credit Union when I found out about Future Jobs from the Jobs Centre. I applied for two roles in two companies and after interviews and applications I selected the role at CDHT.”
And the future? “They seem very positive about my job prospects and I’m very willing to tackle the work, I enjoy it.”
The roles at CDHT also involve a mentor who will help each for the next six months with their career plans and training. This includes study leave for level-two NVQ qualifications in subjects like Business Administration at CDHT and Maths and English at Learn Direct in Northgate Street, Chester.
The Future Jobs Fund is a £1.2bn scheme run nationally by the Department of Work and Pensions. It aims to create 150,000 new jobs across the country and help young people find work.
Cheshire West and Chester Council has successfully bid for funding to provide 250 jobs under the Future Jobs Fund and is working with Job Centre Plus to create a range of opportunities with partners including Chester & District Housing Trust.
CDHT has signed up to provide at least 56 Future Jobs Fund roles throughout the organisation in 2010/11, one of the largest programmes in Cheshire. CDHT’s Housing Options & Pathways Team Manager, Sharon Morris is managing the project with Sarah McGrady, Pathways Co-ordinator, as team leader. Sarah said;
“The Future Jobs Fund project is a fantastic opportunity for the Trust to work with and learn from young people, helping them to learn new skills and build a successful career for themselves in housing. In the current economic climate it is even more important that we show our support for young people entering the jobs market.”
CDHT is one of the ‘Top 100 Sunday Times Best Companies to Work for’ and is Overall Employer of the Year and the Proactive Training & Support Award winner in Cheshire West & Chester Council’s Workability Plus Awards 2009.
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Caption (L-R front): Shaun Murray, Cerine Kennedy and Richard Johnson with the CDHT Future Jobs Fund support team LtoR; Sharon Morris, Housing Options & Pathways Manager, Val Powell, Visiting Support Officer, Shirley Joinson, Employment Mentor and Sarah McGrady, Pathways Coordinator.
For more information and photos please visit:
http://www.marketingprojects.co.uk/news/chester-district-housing-trust
Notes to editors
Chester & District Housing Trust (CDHT) is a dynamic and enterprising organisation at the forefront of delivering positive impacts in the communities with which it works. The Trust’s homes span six communities – Blacon North; Blacon South; Chester City Area; The Rurals; Lache and Handbridge; Upton, Hoole, Newton and Plas Newton.
Committed to the best principles of social enterprise with over 14,000 local customers in 6,200 properties and 53% of its 275 colleagues living within its communities, the Trust adheres to key commitments and principles relating to people, places, partnerships and performance which underpin the Vision to ‘create opportunity’, through its mission, ‘by doing the right thing’.
The Trust is about being transparent and accountable in everything that is done and to this end is one of the first organisations nationally to have established a Residents’ Board, with full delegated powers from the Trust Board, to direct services which impact upon their lives.
The Trust has a comprehensive development programme delivering over 330 new homes including the £12million regeneration of the Treborth Road area of Chester providing new homes for rent, sale and shared ownership, as well as a village green and wildlife habitats.
CDHT also provides services on a partnership basis, to a number of other customers e.g. Telecare services, TrustWorks Maintenance Services, Housing Options advice, waiting list management and choice based lettings to neighbouring local authorities and registered social landlords.
The Trust is rated as two Star excellent by the Audit Commission, has the highest possible rating from Telecare Services Association and is also credited Investors in People and is the overall Employer of the Year For Cheshire West. It has been in the ‘Top 100 Sunday Times best companies to work for’ for the last 2 years.
For more details please visit www.cdht.org or request a copy of CDHT’s Corporate Plan 2009-2014.
CDHT Press Contacts: Phil Brotherhood
E: phil@marketingprojects.co.uk M: 07884 493370
Jane Harrad-Roberts
E: jane@marketingprojects.co.uk M: 07785 395705
W: www.marketingprojects.co.uk T: 01244 330000
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