On the road with Grow our own trainees
Grow our own trainees at Wales & West Housing properties in Newport, Pembrokeshire.
The Grow our own trainees have visited a number of Wales & West Housing properties across Wales to see first-hand how we make a difference as an organisation.
Since its inception in May 2021 our Grow our own programme has expanded at an exciting pace. We recently recruited our tenth trainee into the Finance department who will join the existing trainees working in the Development, ICT, Governance, Data and Health & Safety teams.
Trainees are provided a bespoke suite of training while gaining experience in their full time positions. This ranges from specific technical skill development to building trainees’ understanding of the housing sector and the multitude of different roles and work undertaken by the organisation.
Attending future and existing Wales & West Housing properties gives trainees the opportunity to see the variety of ways we tailor our services to help make a difference to our residents. They began with a trip to North Wales, visiting properties at Coed Onn Road in Flint before heading to Holywell to see Glan Y Don and our new Extra Care scheme, Plas Yr Ywen. Trainees also saw our development site at the former United Reformed Church site in Northop, where we recently buried a time capsule with the help of pupils from the local primary school.
“Working in the Housing sector is so much more than a job – it’s a chance to make a real difference to others. I hope that the Grow our own programme will help to promote to other young people why a career in housing should be a career of choice.”
Carly Hodson, Career Development Manager, Wales & West Housing.
The second set of visits took place in Cardiff, South Wales, where the trainees visited our development at the site of the former Blue Dragon Hotel on Newport Road and future properties at Colchester Avenue, Penylan. They also explored recently completed homes at Ffordd yr Haearn, Grangetown, before rounding off the trip at West Lee, Canton.
The final visit took the trainees to West Wales, where they passed by the former Cardigan Hospital site where we are building our new offices on the way to our homes at Golwg Y Castell. The next stop was Newport, Pembrokeshire, to visit our unique new homes at Iard Y Parrog and properties at Cysgod Y Dderwen and Maes Y Mynydd.
Carly Hodson, our Career Development Manager, said:
“I am so excited to be managing the ‘Grow our own’ programme. I have worked for the Wales & West Housing Group for 15 years and when I think back over my career, the best bits have been when I have had an opportunity to see and experience for myself the difference we make as an organisation, those moments that really touch your heart and stay with you forever.”
“Taking our graduates out on site is such an important part of our programme as it really brings to life the importance of the work we do across Wales. Recently when arriving with our graduates at our Extra Care scheme in Holywell they couldn’t believe how high the standard of the property was and how we consider all the small details to help our residents call it home.”
“Working in the Housing sector is so much more than a job – it’s a chance to make a real difference to others. I hope that the Grow our own programme will help to promote to other young people why a career in housing should be a career of choice.”
