Property apprenticeships: the key to a new career?
Thursday, 9 June 2011 3:46 PM
If you've ever considered a career in property, an apprenticeship could be a fantastic way of breaking into the industry – and later this month there will be two events explaining how you can get involved.
Asset Skills, the Sector Skills Council for the property industry, has found that estate agents are increasingly recognising the benefits that offering an apprenticeship can bring – which means more and more are becoming available.
And with the on-the-job training and government funding a property apprenticeship provides, it's no surprise that it's proving popular with those keen to get their foot in the door.
Liz Black, property adviser at Asset Skills, says: "Apprenticeships are growing in importance as a really cost-effective method of training the workforce. They are flexible and designed to fit around the need of each individual business. Some agents are just hiring a single apprentice, while others are putting large numbers through the course."
Black points to the advantages apprenticeships can bring to agents, explaining that they can also prove useful to existing employees at a time when every team member's contribution is crucial in enabling businesses to achieve more results with less money.
Gary Black, managing director of John Shepherd Lettings, says: "As well as the technical and legal knowledge our apprentice is learning, he is also gaining valuable communication skills through his time spent in the office.
"He is only 18 and has become a real asset to my company."
If you're interested in finding out more about what a property apprenticeship would involve, go along to an Asset Skills event. One will be held in London on June 16 and another will take place in Manchester on June 23. Register online at AssetSkills.org or call 0844 822 2525.
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