Kickstarters begin their careers with PA Housing

Seven familiar faces joined PA Housing team as apprentices last week.

Having begun working with us through the government’s Kickstart Scheme in 2021, these talented young people are staying with PA, pursuing careers in youth work, business administration, data management and housing management.

Eleven 18 to 24-year-olds originally joined PA on the Kickstart Scheme as part of consortium of 59 other organisations, led by Clarion Housing Group.

The consortium, which included 44 housing organisations, offered a total of 800 jobs to young people across England and Wales, after it secured around £6 million in funding to create the roles where 100% of national minimum wage is paid by the government for six-month work placements.

PA’s kickstarters have done so well, they’ve been offered roles with PA Housing, with Marco Cardoni already having joined us as Junior Communications Officer and Lucy Hill as a Tenancy Solutions Apprenticeship .

Now, seven more have begun their Level 3 apprentice contracts with us. They include, Chloe Dalrymple, who will be completing the Chartered Institute of Housing’s apprenticeship in Housing; and Samuel Kydd, Callum Shepherd, and Drew Newman, who are completing apprenticeships in Business Administration.

Meanwhile, Harry Webster-Aikman and Brandon Rahul are training to be Data Technicians, and MaryAnn Ezeh is completing her apprenticeship in youth work.

“We’ve loved being part of the Kickstart Scheme; and to be able to offer these young people, who many of us have got to know well, the opportunity to move forward in their chosen careers is what PA Housing is all about,” said Emma Macnish, Assistant Director of HR and People Strategy at PA Housing. 

One of PA’s new apprentices, Chloe Dalrymple, said:

“Kickstart is a really good initiative. I had been on maternity leave from a different job role, which I had been in for about six years and knew I needed a change. I found it quite daunting to look for a new job, but when the job centre told me about the Kickstart Scheme opportunity at PA Housing at a day’s notice, I jumped at the chance. “I’ve received so much support from both the teams at Clarion and PA Housing. There’s always someone willing to offer help and advice. It has been a welcoming experience, allowing me to settle in easily. I’ve not been treated as someone new, but rather as an established member of the team. My role as a Community Investment Assistant allows me to work flexibly to fit around childcare. I’m looking forward to completing my apprenticeship and experiencing new things and working with different teams, as I enjoy learning so much. I love the team I work with and being able to work directly with residents.”

Fellow apprentice Samuel Kydd said:

“The Kickstart Scheme has been a really great learning experience for me. It’s enabled me to get my first experience of a career – one that I would never have considered before joining the scheme. I’m very happy to have progressed into an apprenticeship, and hopefully it will lead to a permanent position. Working at PA has been a very positive experience – there’s not one person here who won’t help you.  “I’m really hoping to stay at PA in the future, but with the skills I’ve acquired, it’s great to know there will be lots of opportunities in the housing sector.”