Southway Housing Trust

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Home improvements

Local improvements, local workers

Looking up: the charter means more jobs and training opportunities for local people.

Southway is about more than just improving tenants' homes. The massive improvements we're doing boost the wider economic and social regeneration of the area too.

With millions of pounds to spend and several years of hard work ahead, we're making sure local residents get their share of the job opportunities, the training and apprenticeships that our multi-million pound investment in local homes is bringing.

Community Impact

Our building company partners - Bramall Construction, Kinetics Group (previously The Lord Group) and Wates Living Space - are all part of a special partnership of companies regenerating ex-council homes called Impact Manchester. They showed their commitment to the local community on the day we launched, when three apprentices started work on our home improvement programme.

That commitment is set out in the Employment and Training Charter - a special agreement that commits the companies to providing two years of training for every £1 million we spend on home improvements. The agreement also encourages them to use smaller local firms to carry out specific improvements.

The companies have teamed up with employment and training agents - Skills Solutions and Manchester College of Arts and Technology (MANCAT) - to get local people skilled-up. Their target is to see at least 80 percent of all apprentices and trainees complete the course to NVQ level 2 standard.

Investing in people

Training programmes follow 'Investors in People' national standards (which set the level of staff development a good organisation should have) and health and safety rules, and the companies must meet equality and diversity criteria when they take on new staff. And every trainee gets a 'buddy' or mentor to help them settle in.

Southway director Jane Gant says: "We're determined to create more local jobs and training opportunities. By signing up to this agreement, Southway and our building company partners will make a lasting difference to the area and the people who live here."

Train with our team

If you'd like to become a Southway trainee or apprentice, please call us on 0161 448 4200. We'll send a form for you to fill in with your personal details and experience. When you've returned it, we'll pass it onto Construction Industry Solutions, who'll invite you in for a chat about your future in training.

Work with us

If you're interested in working for us, please see our job vacancies section. If you have a trade or are interested in working for one of our Impact construction partners, please contact Halema Suleman on 0161 448 4310. Or by writing to Southway Housing, Aspen House, 825 Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, M20 2SN.

Other training opportunities

We can also help you find training outside of Southway. Our training partners have close links with providers throughout Manchester. They can help you on your way with courses including ICT, mechanics and business studies.

Whatever your direction, we can be a part of the journey, to a fulfilling career of your choice.