Six North Wales housing associations' shared placement scheme reaches eight-week mark

Adra has reported that two participants on its Introduction to Housing programme have completed eight weeks of work placements, in a scheme it says is the first to run across six North Wales housing associations.

The landlord, which manages more than 7,500 homes across North Wales, published the update under the title "Halfway There". It said participants Enfys and Ianto had settled into their placements and would move through four departments in total.

Enfys started in Adra's Customer Services Team and Ianto in the Rent Team. Adra said the rotation gives participants practical experience and skills intended to lead to future employment.

Ceri Ellis-Jackson, Academi Adra Programme Lead, said: "What makes this programme special is the collaboration between housing associations across North Wales. By working together, we can provide a variety of experiences and unique opportunities for young people to learn, develop and explore new career pathways."

The programme

The six housing associations taking part are Adra, Grŵp Cynefin, North Wales Housing, Cartrefi Conwy, ClwydAlyn and Wales & West Housing. Adra said the programme is funded by the Welsh Government, the UK Government and the NDA Socio Economic Fund.

It sits within Academi Adra, the employment and skills programme Adra launched in 2021. According to Cyngor Gwynedd, the academy was set up to give young people skills and experience in the construction industry, and Community Housing Cymru says its main aim is to upskill Adra's tenants and people in the communities the association serves.

Adra's standard Academi Adra course model runs to a paid work placement of 16 weeks, with courses held at its offices in Bangor and Penygroes. The academy is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, according to Adra. Adra did not state the total length of the Introduction to Housing programme in its update.

Enfys, who is placed in the Customer Services Team, said: "When I started the programme, I had no idea how many different opportunities there were within the housing sector."

Adra's wider targets

Adra has said it aims to support 700 residents and local people to develop skills over the next four years through Academi Adra and other employment and training initiatives. Its latest annual report, published on 30 September, said 217 people were supported into work or training during the year.

The same report said Adra invested £17.9m in its housing stock and built 180 new homes over the past year, and that it houses more than 18,000 people. Sasha Davies, chair of Adra's board, said the year marked the end of the first year of the association's Corporate Plan.

Iwan Trefor Jones, chief executive of Adra, has described Academi Adra as one of the association's flagship projects. Adra's placements have extended beyond its own offices: two Academi Adra participants began 16-week placements with OBR Construction on Cyngor Gwynedd's Tŷ Gwynedd housing sites, according to the council.

The skills push comes as Community Housing Cymru calls on the Welsh Government to publish a National Construction Skills Strategy.

What happens next

Adra said it would give a further update at the end of the programme on what comes next for the Introduction to Housing learners.