Apprenticeships with Catalyst

We invest in people through our award-winning apprenticeship scheme and give them the chance to grow and develop.

During 2018/19 we took on six apprentices at our head office in Ealing, with roles covering:

  • Customer services
  • HR
  • Communications
  • IT
  • Community development (Catalyst Gateway)

We also have construction apprenticeship opportunities with our contractors, available through Catalyst Gateway.

Our apprenticeships are run as part of the Government’s apprenticeship programme – visit gov.uk for more information about becoming an apprentice.

Jodie Harris, our Learning and Development Manager:

“I believe that everyone has their own way of learning – and apprenticeships are a great way of gaining skills and experience for those who feel that university isn’t the right path into a career.

From Catalyst’s point of view apprenticeships are a great way of growing and developing our own talent. As an organisation it’s part of our social purpose to provide opportunities for people to grow and develop, and apprenticeships are a great way to help people reach their potential.

I’ve been really impressed by how far our apprentices have come since they joined us last April – they’ve brought a real energy and commitment to developing their skills while delivering a fantastic service across the business.”.

Meet our apprentices

Narmeen Tahir

Narmeen is an apprentice with Catalyst Gateway, our community development team. Narmeen won ‘Apprentice of the Year’ at the Ealing Apprenticeship Network Awards in 2017.Narmeen - apprentice of the year

What attracted you to taking an apprenticeship at Catalyst?

I wanted to join Catalyst as I have always wanted to gain employment within the Housing sector. There were several different opportunities available and this was a great sign as it showed that they were looking to take on applicants that did not have any prior housing experience. I knew that this would be a great opportunity to start my career.

What have you learnt during your apprenticeship?

Working across different teams in Gateway has taught me about a wide range of services that they offer to residents. I have seen the extent of the support available for residents and this has been a great department to work in for the duration of my apprenticeship.

What has the support been like during your apprenticeship?

The support has been really positive as I have been encouraged to see my potential and to do tasks that I otherwise thought I could not do. Through this support and recognition I was shortlisted for the National Apprentice of the year and went onto win this award.

Is there one project you’ve worked on that you found particularly rewarding?

The Love London Working project that I have worked on with the Employment and Skills team is a project that has benefited our customers. It supports our customers in getting back to work by helping with tasks such as CV building and filling out application forms. There has been a great success rate of this project for residents.

What would you like your next steps to be?

I would like to gain a full time role within Catalyst after my apprenticeship as it has been a positive experience for me.

Construction apprenticeships

On each of our construction projects, we require our contractors to provide a certain number of apprenticeships in each phase. At Havelock in Southall, we’re currently working with West London College and our contractors Bouygues UK to provide six apprenticeships in a range of construction disciplines.

Before each phase starts, Bouygues agree with us what types of apprenticeships they’ll offer. They then run them in partnership with West London College.

Apprenticeships are advertised locally on posters, through the Job Centre and other local partners. Priority is given to people who live on Havelock, followed by Southall residents and then by candidates from the borough of Ealing.

Catalyst support Havelock residents to apply for the apprenticeships by giving guidance on writing a CV and preparing for their interview. We also support residents and candidates with their Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) qualifications and Level 1 in Health & Safety, again in partnership with West London College. In addition, we can provide tools, contribute to childcare costs, and award grants to help an apprentice kick-start their career in construction.

Sam – apprentice finisher:

‘When I’ve got lots of hands-on experience, I’d like to move up to management and hopefully see more women join the trade. I keep telling my eight-year-old: get a trade and you can go anywhere in the world.’

More information:

We want people with a hunger to succeed who will demonstrate our values of being open, inclusive, caring and acting with integrity – so keep an eye out for more opportunities advertised shortly.

To find out more about our apprenticeships please contact ellie.parminter@chg.org.uk