Miles Platting wins HCA award

The Renaissance Consortium is celebrating winning two national Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) Academy Awards for its apprentice scheme in Miles Platting, east Manchester. 

In addition, the Miles Platting apprentice programme beat all the other award winners – including housing associations, regeneration organisations and developers – to take the overall Co-operative Award for Excellence at the awards ceremony held at the Roundhouse, north London.

Since its launch in August 2007, the Renaissance apprenticeship scheme has provided employment for 18 locally recruited trainees working on the Miles Platting housing regeneration scheme. The regeneration programme is being carried out by the Renaissance Consortium – which is made up of Lovell, Adactus Housing Association and Investors in the Community – on behalf of Manchester City Council and New East Manchester.

The HCA judging panel described the Miles Platting apprentice training programme as “as excellent project demonstrating an innovative approach to staff recruitment and training through the use of apprenticeships”.  Gill Taylor, chair of the judges, commented: “The particular success of this project was down to the intensive one-to-one support it offers the young apprentices; a model which offers considerable lessons for other projects.” The Co-operative Group, which chose the Miles Platting scheme for its excellence award, said Renaissance had “succeeded in going above and beyond its contractual obligations, resulting in a scheme that was having a demonstrable impact on the local community.” Sarah Klueter, senior community manager at the Co-operative Group, described the apprentice programme as “transforming the lives of young people in the area”. She stated: “The apprenticeship programme has an aspirational aspect, especially in a community where there is so much worklessness. Seeing young people doing well and growing in confidence is a really positive thing.”

“To win these two national awards is a tremendous achievement which recognises the success of the apprentice training programme and the life-changing benefits it has brought about for so many of the young people involved,” says Lovell people development manager Bruce Boughton. “This is a huge tribute to the hard work of everyone involved, most importantly, the apprentices themselves as well as the people who support them and manage their training. It is also an important reminder that this kind of high-quality training programme has a positive effect on the whole community.”

Councillor Paul Andrews, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, which includes housing, adds: “The apprenticeship project provides an opportunity for local people to learn the skills needed to work in the world of building and regeneration.  Their hands-on training on local projects means that they contribute to improving their own local environment and the living conditions of local people at the same time as learning skills that will enable them to earn a good living in the long term.”

Natalie Tordoff, group head of regeneration and worklessness at Adactus, says: “We are delighted that the apprenticeship scheme has been recognised by this prestigious national award.  This award win highlights the significance of this scheme that not only helps equip the young trainees with the necessary skills for future careers in construction or housing but also allows them to make a positive difference in their own community.”

Trainees at Miles Platting work towards qualifications in construction trades such as plastering, joinery and multi-skilled trades with others studying for office-based qualifications in a neighbourhood management training role. Each training position combines on-the-job training with college-based learning at Manchester College of Arts and Technology and Salford University or at the Lovell Craft Academy, the company’s national apprentice training centre in Leicestershire.

An essential element in the success of the training programme has been the strong support network which Renaissance has created for the trainees.