Trainees sign up to transform Miles Platting

Ten young people aged 16 -21 years, including six from east Manchester, have secured places on a new modern apprentice scheme set up by the Renaissance Consortium with the support of New East Manchester, Skills Solutions and MANCAT.

The ten trainees have initially been given a two-year contract with housebuilder, Lovell or Adactus Housing Association. They will either specialise in a particular trade such as plumbing or plastering or train in a number of disciplines to become a multi skilled operative.

The apprentices will all work on the redevelopment of Miles Platting in east Manchester, a Private Finance Initiative that will transformation a 107 hectare (264 acre) area of Manchester, two miles east of the city centre. The redevelopment work is being undertaken by the Renaissance Consortium, which is a partnership between national affordable housing provider Lovell, Adactus Housing Association and Investors in the Community.

Tom Russell, New East Manchester's Chief Executive said: "We have been working closely with Renaissance to create opportunities for local people in the construction industry and housing maintenance and management. This is a fantastic initiative but only the start. By working together on recruitment we had a tremendous response from local people with over 160 enquiries and the standard of applicants was excellent. We look forward to seeing many more young people benefit from this opportunity in the coming years."

On behalf of the Renaissance Consortium, Lovell managing director Stewart Davenport added: "The modern apprentice scheme gives local youngsters a tremendous opportunity to build themselves a career in the construction industry. A structured programme will be created for each trainee consisting of on-site experience on the Miles Platting scheme and training delivered at the Lovell Craft Academy, the company's centrally-run national training centre, or through MANCAT. We will be creating these kinds of opportunities for local people throughout the regeneration programme, alongside the physical improvements which are being carried out to the area."

Damien Bourke, Policy and Partnerships Manager at the NWDA, said:
"Improving employment prospects for young people is essential to East Manchester's ongoing regeneration. The NWDA welcomes this scheme, which provides opportunities for young people to gain new skills through practical work experience and will help to put them in a strong position to gain employment in the future."

Renaissance signed a 30-year Private Finance Initiative contract with Manchester City Council in March this year which saw the start of a five-year comprehensive refurbishment programme by Lovell for 1,520 council houses and flats that will include kitchen and bathroom replacements, double glazing, electrical rewiring, new central heating and new garden walls or fences. Adactus Housing Association also started a 30-year management and maintenance programme for these properties for Manchester City Council.


The Renaissance Consortium will have a continuous rolling programme of apprenticeships over the next 30 years as part of the management and maintenance programme being carried out by Adactus Housing Association.

In addition to the refurbishment of existing homes, the regeneration scheme includes the creation of more than 1,000 new-build family houses and apartments. Lovell is expected to start work on the new-build properties in 2008.

For more information visit neweastmanchester.com.