Our apprentices make their mark on Oldham’s new homes

Local youngsters Amy Fielding (19) and Cody Bentley (23) have gained invaluable experience by helping to build some of Oldham’s latest affordable homes, thanks to their apprenticeships with us.

We welcomed Amy and Cody in September 2020 and they are set to become part of Oldham’s next generation of qualified joiners. They have been gaining skills in all areas of joinery by working on both tenanted and currently unoccupied properties, however, as part of their site carpentry apprenticeships, they must develop skills in areas that can only be gained in new build properties.

Following great partnership working between us and development contractor, Robwood Construction, Amy and Cody have been hard at work on the High Barn Phase 2 development site, which is set to bring high quality one-bedroom apartments to Royton in March 2022, all for affordable rent with us.

Amy Fielding said: “I have never worked on a building site before and it’s really beneficial to gain experience in different aspects of construction, all while playing a part in the delivery of new, much-needed homes.

“We’ve put our hands to loads of things, from stud walls to door frames and manufactured joists, all under the supervision of the site manager. The weather has been a bit of a shock to the system but it’s great to see what goes into the foundations of house building and gain essential knowledge of the construction industry.”

Amy and Cody are two of four apprentices that we recruited during the pandemic, and we are committed to creating further apprenticeship roles to boost employment opportunities for local people.

Karen Jenkins, our Talent and Development Lead, said: “Apprentices bring so much to an organisation and here at FCHO, it’s really important that we invest in apprenticeships to create a future talent pipeline both in our business and locally in Oldham too.

“As part of my role, I am looking at opportunities for a variety of roles at FCHO and in the New Year we are hoping to recruit 11 more apprentices across the organisation, so watch this space.”

Customers who would benefit from any employment support can email our amazing employment team at directions@fcho.co.uk

Find out more about our High Barn Phase 2 development here High Barn: Phase 2 - First Choice Homes Oldham (fcho.co.uk)