A 57-year-old dad-of-two from Cheshire who has gone back to school after 40 years to study for an apprenticeship, says he has ‘never looked back’ since.
Charlie Barnard, who works for progressive landlord ForHousing, was encouraged to take the leap and gain his Level 5 Operations Manager qualification after his manager advised it could help him take his career to the next level.
Charlie explained: “The training has covered a whole range of subjects, from finance to communications, and from project planning to learning and development. It’s got me thinking in a whole new way and made me reflect deeply on my decision-making processes.
“The course has really challenged me, but it’s been so worth it. I’ve spread it over two years, worked hard and the support I’ve had from my tutor in my one-on-one sessions has been amazing.”
Charlie, who is a father to two grown-up sons and lives in Cheshire, has been working in his current role for the past year, managing two operational services in Knowsley and Salford that support tenants to keep a roof over their heads. He previously managed the Knowsley tenant support service for 12 years. Charlie also manages ForHousing’s housing support work with Mustard Tree, a Manchester-based charity that helps people living in poverty.
After leaving Upton-by-Chester High School at 15 years old, Charlie’s working life began as a trainee butcher in a local Co-Op through the Youth Training Scheme in 1970, earning £25 a week.
He went on to work in retail before setting up a support group for single-parent families, backed by the charity Gingerbread. Charlie later went on to work for the local primary care trust and moved into the world of housing from there.
Charlie said: “Once I started working in housing I was hooked. I love this sector and working with people every day to help improve their lives.
“I’m a very practical person and have always worked hard and learned on the job, so the academic aspects of the apprenticeship were all new to me, but I’m so glad I’ve done it. The feedback I’ve had from colleagues at all levels on how I’ve gained new confidence in my role thanks to this opportunity has been fantastic,” he added.
ForHousing, which owns and manages more than 24,000 homes across the North West, is committed to supporting people of all ages to kickstart their careers through apprenticeships.
Over the past five years, the housing association has hired 40 new apprentices across a wide range of departments and upskilled more than 70 staff through apprenticeships to help ensure they have the skills to make the most positive impact on the people they support in their day-to-day job.
Charlie’s colleague Lacey Kempster, 23, who grew up on a Merseyside estate is another apprenticeship success story. Having struggled to get to grips with school, Lacey left at 16 with one GCSE but after a few years in retail and warehouse jobs developed an ambition to work with people and find a career where she could grow and make a difference.
Her careers research led her to the housing sector. Lacey said: “As I looked into apprenticeships in housing, I realised how much potential there would be to move up and how far you could go with it — there are so many different roles.
Lacey explains how her mum has always inspired her to think big, she said: “Growing up it was just my mum looking after us three girls. She was working full-time in retail but no matter what, she always had time for us and didn’t need help from anyone.
“But she’d always had ambitions of working in a hospital. She’s worked so hard and it was amazing seeing her start a job as a ward hostess, and more recently as a health care nurse.”
Lacey was successful in securing an apprenticeship with ForHousing in 2020, passed her final assessments for her Level 2 Property Management certificate in August 2022, and has been working at ForHousing in the Building Safety Team ever since.
Lacey added: “I love coming to work and having a routine. The health and fire safety aspects have really interested me, working under female leaders in the Building Safety Team has been really inspiring. You really feel like you’re making a difference to tenants’ lives.
“I love interacting with tenants, and I relate to what they’re going through — I grew up on an estate just across from Stockbridge Village. I wish something like this team had existed when I was younger, so it feels great to be helping and building that relationship with people.
“I would 100% recommend an apprenticeship — it’s a great opportunity to get qualifications and work experience. It’s so much more fun and it’s really hands-on, plus there’s all the extra training from ForHousing.”
ForHousing has used the apprenticeship levy to support more than £600,000 of training since it was introduced in 2017.
Martyn Hague, Executive Director of Customer at ForHousing said: “Charlie and Lacey exemplify why apprenticeships can be such an amazing route for people, no matter what stage of life.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have their skills and enthusiasm at ForHousing and I know their stories will inspire others to consider apprenticeships.
“When delivered in the right way, apprenticeships are a win-win for organisations and individuals. We are proud to have hired 40 apprentices at ForHousing and to have supported many more of our colleagues to pursue further study through the scheme.
“It’s always a thrill to see people rise up through the organisation and to see the impact they make by improving people’s lives. National Apprenticeship Week is a great opportunity to celebrate everyone who has taken the courageous leap to undertake an apprenticeship.”
Header image shows Charlie Barnard, Operations Manager Apprentice at ForHousing.
