Housing chiefs' boost for jobs market

HOUSING bosses in Warrington have given a major boost to the town’s jobs market by providing opportunities for up to 77 people.
Golden Gates Housing Trust (GGHT) launched its biggest ever recruitment drive and creation the positions – a mixture of trainee schemes and permanent roles – over a period of two months.
The jobs were created as a result of the Trust bringing forward plans to invest up to £105m in its tenants’ homes and neighbourhoods.
A total of 35 new roles have been created within the Trust’s property services division including electricians, plumbers, plasterers, joiners, roofers and kitchen fitters.
These have been joined by 11 new trainees aged 16-24 working in a range of roles in the Trust’s housing management and business services divisions and recruited with the support of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and Warrington Borough Council.
A further 25 new trainees will also be working in the Trust’s property services division on 12 month fixed-term contracts with support towards obtaining a level two or level three qualification.
GGHT has also secured employment opportunities for six local people with their partners, Bramalls Construction Ltd.
The new recruits also join the Trust’s 10 apprentices who joined in September last year and are currently working in a range of specialist roles including housing management, business administration, plumbing, plastering, joinery and electricians.
GGHT made a commitment to its tenants when it took over the town’s homes in November 2010 that they would create employment opportunities for tenants and other residents from the area’s most deprived wards. Through various recruitment campaigns organised with partner organisations they have also effectively targeted the long-term unemployed and local young people who were not in employment, education or training.
GGHT have worked in partnership with Warrington Collegiate to provide pre-employment training to help young people and those who have been out of work to secure these trainee positions. The Collegiate has also provided training to the candidates in plumbing, carpentry and joinery and painting and decorating, while also offering qualifications in health and safety and manual handling to enhance individual CVs.
Chairman of GGHT Roy Smith (pictured) said: “It was fantastic to meet all these new recruits as they started their careers with GGHT and our partners. The new recruits will help us to further improve the services we offer to our customers and will play a key role as we deliver improvements to our homes and neighbourhoods.
“We recognise that many people in our local communities are struggling to find work at present. We are committed to supporting the local economy and these initiatives are providing real opportunities for our tenants and young people to get into work.”