Here's how our training programme could progress your career
As a leading housing provider we’re committed to building more homes and creating places where people feel part of a community. We believe everyone has the right to a warm, safe and affordable home and to make this a reality for more people we’ve set a target of building more than 10,00 homes by 2030.
Just as important as the number of homes is making sure the quality of the homes exceeds customers’ expectations and that’s where our Programme Delivery team play such a key role.
Setting the foundations for growth
Within our Programme Delivery team we have a training programme that helps colleagues develop these skills and the opportunity to progress their career. With a strong commitment to building more quality homes we understand that it’s so important to have the right people in place to project manage the delivery of our new homes.
Here we speak to Hannah Scanlan, Senior Development Manager. Hannah was previously one of our Developments Officers and is sharing her experience of going through our training programme and being promoted into her new role.
What does the training programme as a Development Officer involve?
It’s essentially a two year training programme which combines on-the-job training which gives you the practical experience, and off-the-job training which develops your technical knowledge. As part of the apprenticeship, you are allowed one study day per week to complete the modules, assignments and end of unit tests. In total I studied six modules which were; construction technology and drawings, building pathology & building surveys, law & regulations, sustainability, contracts, tendering & procurement, and economics, measurement & data. Once you pass the six modules, you prepare a portfolio of experience and case study to the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) in order to obtain Associate RICS status which is highly regarded in the industry.
How has your career changed as you’ve been doing the training programme?
The training programme is definitely a great chance for progression, I started as a Development Officer, then Senior Development Officer, then to a Project Manager and I’ve been promoted again to Senior Development Manager. I think for anyone that is thinking about this as a career there is so much opportunity, and you are encouraged and supported by your manager to take them.
What do you enjoy most about it?
I enjoy the variety that the role brings. Every day is a learning day, and you are constantly building on your knowledge and experience. It’s a rapidly changing industry, in terms of building regulations and fire safety, so keeping up to date on these changes through regular Continuing Professional Development and reading is really important. I enjoy the challenge of the role, you won’t know the answers to everything but it’s about knowing who to ask. And of course, when all the hard work pays off and you see the finished product and hear the great feedback from housing and sales, you feel a real sense of accomplishment, knowing you’re making a real difference to people’s lives.
What would you say to anyone thinking of breaking into Development as a career?
To complete the diploma there is quite a bit of coursework and I often found myself working evenings and weekends to get things completed on time. It’s definitely achievable though, I even managed to have a baby while I was doing my diploma which was a challenge but with the support of the team and hard work it just shows what’s achievable.
Tell us more about what your job as a Senior Development Manager involves?
The role involves managing a number of your own projects, from start-on-site through to practical completion where the homes are finished, ready for customers to move in, and everything in between. Ultimately it’s about spinning all the plates so that your projects hand over on time, within budget whilst striving to exceed our customer’s expectations in terms of quality. Effective communication with internal teams is key to delivering a successful project and we do this by leading internal project teams. Managing risk is a huge part of the role, as is ensuring compliance for example ensuring gas and fire safety compliance. We also visit site regularly to monitor progress and to snag, and de-snag units in preparation for handover. There is so much variety to the role, I could go on and on
