'Investing back into
the local community'

Inquilab Housing Association provides social housing and related customer-based services for a wide range of West London residents living in multi-cultural communities. Today, Inquilab is one of the top performing community-based associations working with BME communities in the country. Ethical practice is a touchstone of the organisation – reflected in their roots, values, representative board membership and mission to meet housing need and support sustainable communities.

As one might expect, integrity is a core value at the heart of the organisation’s working culture and approach to recruitment too. This is where apprenticeships come in. The organisation’s HR Project Officer, Marcus Atkins, sees apprenticeships as a means of investing back into the local community the Association serves.

As a local employer we like to be able to support local educational establishments and contribute to the local economy as best as possible. Apprenticeships enable us to do this effectively. From an employer’s perspective, there’s so much to gain for an organisation like ours hiring an apprentice. Firstly, we have a great opportunity to develop someone within our own culture (which is so important to us); and secondly, we get to drive employment opportunities in our own back yard.

– Marcus Atkins, HR Project Officer

Apprentice Joshua Perrin (aged 22) joined Inquilab HA five months ago, as a Data Analyst Degree Apprentice. Since then, he’s gone from strength to strength. Despite having some initial worries about how well he’d adjust to the working week – as this is his first experience of full-time employment – he’s grown from the experience and finds himself able to maintain a good work/life balance.

Reward and recognition are at the heart of employee satisfaction. This is something that Joshua knows about first-hand. The highlight of his apprenticeship experience so far was being made responsible for designing and producing the quarterly KPI report, which went to the company’s Board. Joshua’s work gained praise from the CEO, which made him feel 'very good and proud'.

As an apprentice you are absolutely part of the team. Like all your colleagues, you have responsibilities and as much is expected of you as them. Joshua has certainly risen to the challenge. The mentor-mentee relationship is a very important dynamic within the overall apprenticeship experience. Joshua’s mentor is Marcus. Marcus isn’t his line manager, but Joshua enjoys this and feels that he can talk to Marcus about anything that comes up. 'It is also good to have Marcus as a mentor as we have a good rapport outside of work as well,' says Joshua.

Apprenticeships can change someone’s life. Marcus and Inquilab HA are very sensible of the great opportunity an apprenticeship presents for the apprentice. Of course, it has to make good business sense too. Apprenticeships are a cost-effective way for organisations (large and small) to bring in new talent or to invest in the development of their existing staff. The Apprenticeship Team at the University of West London (UWL) provide support for employers and apprentices to help make to process easy. Marcus has certainly valued the support on offer to him, 'right from the start we have had excellent communication from the UWL team and they are really keen to ensure the relationship works for both parties.'

https://inquilabha.org/

To find out how your organisation could benefit from hiring an apprentice, please contact Janet Rowson, Associate Head of Degree Apprenticeships, on 020 8231 2607.