Partnering with Oldham College to help students shape their success

Today we welcomed Oldham College T Level students to First Place to give them a flavour of what FCHO is all about and encourage them to kickstart their careers with us.

The engaging session was led by Naomi Martin-Smith, our Learning and Development Co-ordinator, and attended by 43 young people studying a range of T Level subjects including Surveying & Design for Construction and the Built Environment, Digital infrastructure, and Business Administration.

They were here to get insight into our work as the biggest social housing provider in the borough and what we do to provide great services, great homes, great neighbourhoods and be a great company.

The idea was to introduce our business to the T Level students with a view to encouraging them to apply for placements with us in the next academic year. Exciting times!

T Levels are two-year courses that focus on technical and vocational skills and combine study with a work placement of at least 45 days- allowing students to get essential hands-on experience in their chosen field.

As an anchor organisation in the Oldham borough committed to generating social value through our work, we are working with Oldham College to support local people to develop their careers and future-proof skills in the borough.

We are offering four student placements in teams across our business, including Development, Investment, ICT and Community Impact.

The young people will join us for one day a week, from September 2023 through to summer 2024, to gain valuable knowledge and experience to complement their learning in the classroom.

The work builds on the success of this year’s T Level placements, in which two students have spent time with our Development and Investment teams.

Reflecting on the day, Naomi Martin-Smith said: “We know how important it is to create opportunities for local young people and we’re delighted to be working closely with Oldham College to be able to do this.

“Housing is such a diverse sector and through these T Level placements we want to offer training and development and open doors in a variety of fields.

“There was a terrific energy in the room today and we’re looking forward to welcoming the next cohort of students onboard in September and making a positive contribution to our team.”