Plus Dane Housing has recruited seven graduates as part of a pilot training scheme.
More than 80 graduates applied to the scheme for what were initially five positions, but two extra roles were created after the standard of applicants proved particularly high.
Ian Reed, Assistant Chief Executive at Plus Dane said: “The standard of applicants to our graduate scheme was extremely high. Our ‘magnificent seven’ really impressed us during the recruitment process, where they were required to undertake a number of tasks designed to put various skills and abilities to the test.
“The essence of the scheme is that our new graduates are going to bring fresh ideas to Plus Dane as they work on key projects across the organisation; including our climate change strategy, development of properties, and business effectiveness. It is fantastic to see graduates of this calibre serious about pursuing a meaningful career in social housing.”
The seven successful applicants start at Plus Dane this month on a two-year contract. The first year of their employment will see the graduates achieve a fully funded CIH L4 qualification in partnership with The GEM Programme. In addition to this qualification, they will also have the opportunity to attend topical social housing debates at Westminster.
The housing association has worked closely with higher education providers from across the region as part of its recruitment campaign, including Edge Hill University, LJMU, the University of Chester and the University of Liverpool — which has now added the organisation to their Top 100 Graduate Recruiters list.
The graduate scheme is part of Plus Dane’s commitment to nurture talent through quality training and development to help entry-level staff become future leaders. As well as the graduates, the organisation recruited 11 new apprentices this summer, in addition to the 18 taken on last year.
Plus Dane joined The 5% Club in 2016, an industry-led campaign in which members strive to achieve 5% of their workforce consisting of apprentices, sponsored students and/or graduates on formalised training schemes within five years. Following the recruitment of its 2017 graduate scheme, it is expected that 6.5% of its staff will be made up of this demographic.
