Supporting customers and colleagues through apprenticeships

Many of our apprentices are customers themselves or are people who have interacted with Home Group in one form or another earlier in their lives.

For Steven, it was the latter. Having been supported by Home Group to move into a property earlier in his life, when he found himself in a difficult situation, it was those positive memories which made him interested in an apprenticeship with us.

Having began volunteering and with a goal of becoming a support worker, Steven began his apprenticeship in 2023.

Since then he has thrived, completing his Level 2 apprenticeship with a distinction and now working through his Level 3 apprenticeship journey.

It is so important that we are always listening to our customers and working to understand the situations affecting them, so that we can deliver the support and services they need.

Having colleagues like Steven who have lived firsthand some of those same experiences which are facing our customers helps us better connect with the people we help, as well as reminding us of the potential in our customers when given the opportunities to follow their goals.

When asked about the apprenticeship, Steven said: “This apprenticeship has given me the drive to push myself beyond what I thought possible. It offers so much to people that are looking for a second chance at life; a second chance of looking in the mirror and liking what you see.

“Home Group once gave me a home, and now they have given me an education and experience. But most importantly, they have given me a purpose.

“To all future apprentices, don’t doubt yourselves! There will be times where you are worried, lost or unsure – this is normal, ask for help and remember you are more capable than you think.”

Last year, we offered 120 apprenticeships across Home Group and 70 of these (58%) went to customers of ours who were long-term unemployed.

For us, who better to help us shape the quality of support and services we run than those who have experienced firsthand what our customers need.

As for Steven, we are thrilled to continue to watch him develop and thrive as he works towards a long-term plan to become a counsellor or specialise in working with vulnerable adults.