National Apprenticeship Week - William Thompson - Countrywide Regional Director – Lettings

What apprenticeships have you offered in your region?

Since September 2021, we’ve welcomed three apprentices to the Countrywide South Yorkshire Lettings region. It’s really exciting to bring new people into the business in a different way and it was clear to see very early on the mutual benefits of hiring apprentices and how valuable they can be to our business. We’ve got plans to increase the number of apprentices in our region to six by the end of March this year and we’re well on the way to achieving this.

How have you given support?

The training and support provided by our partnering apprenticeship company means that apprentices can develop skills which are relevant to the job. All of the existing team in our region really support apprentices and help them with their on the job training and development. I also take an active interest in their learning and I often meet with our apprentices and their managers to hear how they are getting on and get feedback on their journey with us.

How can apprentices in your region continue their career with Countrywide?

We’re thrilled to have already been able to offer a permanent contract to Lydia Dunigan at our Banner Cross branch in Sheffield, our first apprentice hire who has now completed her apprenticeship qualification. She will be going into her new role in February where she will continue her professional development as she progresses her career with us. I am sure that this will be repeated with our other candidates in the near future too as we look to offer them permanent roles.

What have you found to be the biggest benefit of the Countrywide Apprenticeship Scheme?

Having apprentices in our business is a great way to grow our talent and develop a motivated and skilled team. It’s great to see how apprentices approach our business with fresh eyes and new ideas and are so willing to get stuck in and learn from hands on experience alongside some of our more experienced colleagues. Seeing their confidence develop as their career with us progresses is very rewarding!

What are some skills you have seen your apprentices gain from this?

An apprenticeship is a full-time job with additional learning. This combination means that our apprentices can get the training and qualifications they want in a career that interests them as well as getting paid at the same time. Having chosen this route to a career it means that they are really engaged to learn skills in a real environment yet also have the support from the structure that a professional qualification offers.