Wheatley extends apprentices’ contracts for another 6 months

Scotland’s leading housing, care and property-management group is extending the contract of its second-year Business Admin apprentices whose learning and development has been affected by the pandemic.

The young people were due to complete their apprenticeships at the end of September, but will now continue until the end of March 2021.

The Group’s two-year Business Admin apprenticeships give young people on-the-job training in business support services such as finance and legal, as they work towards an SVQ qualification.

The apprentices work in Wheatley offices across Scotland, including with GHA, DGHP, Cube, Dunedin Canmore, Loretto Housing, YourPlace and West Lothian Housing Partnership.

In their second year, the Group’s Wheatley Works programme helps the apprentices get ‘work ready’, including helping their confidence and resilience as well as learning interview skills.

Wheatley’s Modern Apprenticeship programme is managed by the Wheatley Foundation.

Foundation Manager Lynne Mitchell said: “We want to make sure all our apprentices get the best start in their careers.

“The pandemic has meant we haven’t been able to support them the way we would like to.

“Extending their contract for six months will help the young people continue their development and get support from us in finding a job.”

Recruitment for the next round of Wheatley’s Business Admin apprentices will start next year.

Wheatley will begin recruiting environmental apprentices later this year to start in March 2021.

City Building (Glasgow) will continue to recruit 60 trades apprentices ready to start in October.

Since it launched in 2009, more than 400 young people have joined Wheatley on the Modern Apprenticeship scheme.