Coinciding with Apprenticeship Week in Wales, leading social landlord Adra has launched its new Academi with the aim of supporting more than 60 young people to develop new skills and access work opportunities across North Wales by 2022.
Academi Adra is focusing on enhancing skills and employability options through apprenticeships, work placements, graduate placements and trainee schemes; the housing provider is starting its first two placements this month as part of the national Kickstart Scheme, creating work opportunities for 16 to 24 year-olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment.
Adra is matching customers up with opportunities they can create through their services and ambitious investment and development programme, with these first two placements developing customer service skills with its Call Centre whilst working remotely from home, due to the current COVID restrictions.
Working with partners through the Clarion Housing Partnership, Adra’s placements through the Kickstart Scheme will develop transferable skills; these six months placements for Welsh language speakers will help to enhance their employability and provide much valued workplace experience, with an aim of helping participants move to long-term employment with Adra and other employers in the area.
As part of Adra’s commitment to creating opportunities for its customers, the housing provider has recently taken on four new apprentices, one electrical, one plumber and two painter and decorators within its Repairs and Maintenance team, adding to the several other apprentices currently working on its asset management programme and new build construction sites. This is all part of its skills and employability project, Academi Adra.
The social landlord has also developed its housing trainee programme and will be recruiting a further two housing trainees during the coming weeks to learn about housing management, customer care and supporting tenants to sustain their tenancies. It will also offer four graduate placements opportunities during 2021/22.
Caleb Khan is studying for a City & Guilds Level 2, NVQ Diploma in Decorative Finishing and Industrial Painting Occupations (Construction) at Coleg Llandrillo Menai and as part of his course he is gaining practical, on-the-job training as an apprentice with Adra.
Caleb (pictured above), of Caernarfon, said: “Adra has given me a fantastic opportunity to develop my skills as an apprentice, working with an experienced painter and decorator at Adra’s homes. I’m extremely grateful for this chance and would like to thank Adra for their support.”
Elin Williams, Adra’s Community and Partnerships Manager, added: “As we grow, we want to create opportunities for our people, starting with our customers. Through Academi Adra, we aim to create work opportunities via our placement schemes and wider trainee, graduate and apprentice programmes, working with our partners and targeting our customers across North Wales who are facing so many challenges to access the job market.
“Kickstart is a great scheme for our young customers; with the COVID restrictions we’ve had to innovate to find new ways of providing opportunities. We are working with our partners to deliver apprentice opportunities to work outside on our construction sites, as well as doing our best to support local SMEs through our investment work.”
One local SME working with Adra on its investment programme is construction company Williams Homes Bala, which also recently announced the launch of its Apprentice Academy providing up to 10 new apprentice opportunities in the region. Owain Williams, Joint Managing Director of Williams Homes Bala, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Adra with the aim of providing more opportunities for local people.”
