WORKING TOWARDS A BRIGHTER FUTURE
We aim to be more than just a housing provider, we strive to provide opportunities for tenants to help them improve their lives.
We work with our partners across Salford to support our tenants to learn new skills, gain qualifications and access training and employment opportunities.
Read on to find out more about some of the people we’ve been supporting to enhance their employment prospects…
Francesca is in the driving seat
Trainee trucker and Salix Homes tenant Francesca Ohai is breaking down gender stereotypes by learning to become a lorry driver.
The 44-year-old is being supported by Salix Homes to complete an LGV (light goods vehicle) driver training course as part of the Back2Work training programme we are involved with.
Currently working as a support worker and kitchen assistant, life is tough making ends meet, especially as a single parent raising her 12-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter, so Francesca jumped at the opportunity to learn a new skill that would set her on the road to a bright new career.
And she’s not fazed by the fact she was the only women on the training course.
“I didn’t feel intimidated, I felt like the Queen of the pack.”
“We were all from different backgrounds and we got on really well - I loved it.”
Francesca Ohai
As part of the programme, Francesca had to complete an online course and medical assessment before getting behind the wheel at an LGV training day.
She said: “The vehicle was massive and I was doubtful I could do it as I've never driven anything bigger than a car, but I summoned my courage and just tried it. I would normally panic driving a new car, but it felt really good and the instructor said I’d done well.”
As part of the process to get a licence, the trainees need to pass a theory test and hazard perception test. When complete, they will then be eligible to take their full practical LGV driving test and Francesca is hoping to take the tests in December.
Nationally, there’s a huge shortage of lorry drivers, so Francesca is hoping to inspire other women to get behind the wheel.
She added: “I would love to see more women get the courage to try LGV driving, they think it’s just for men and it's not. Some people think I'm crazy asking why I want to drive a lorry – that just makes me want to do it even more.”
Visit the Back2Work website for more information about getting an LGV licence.
Lucas is building a brighter future
Salix Homes is one of the founding members of the Build Salford programme which supports young people into training or employment in the construction sector.
One of the latest success stories to come out of Build Salford is 17-year-old Lucas Edwards who is doing a bricklaying apprenticeship with our partner contractor Watson Homes.
He’s been learning the tricks of trade at our new Neighbourhood development, which is currently under construction on Kara Street in Seedley.
He said:
“It’s great being on a live site like this, there’s loads you can learn. Things didn’t go well for me at college so when someone told me about Build Salford, I thought it was a really good idea, and through it I got what I wanted, which is my dream job.”
Build Salford targets 16-24-year olds who may have dropped out of education and are struggling to find work.
Jackie Crook, skills and work manager at Salix Homes, explained: “Salix Homes is proud to be one of the founding members of Build Salford, which is a huge success story for Salford, transforming the lives of many young people.
“Build Salford enables us to work alongside our partners to support young people to get their lives and careers back on track, gain some experience and qualifications, and build themselves a bright future.”
Applications for the next Build Salford will open in Spring 2023. For more information, email apprenticeships@salfordcc.ac.uk.
Try a Trade
Young people in Salford have been ‘trying a trade’ as part of a programme to inspire a new generation of construction workers.
Salix Homes has joined forces with Keepmoat Homes and other partners across Salford to run a six-week ‘introduction to building and construction’ course.
The course provided professional training and workshops in plastering, tiling and bricklaying, and also covered practical advice for safety awareness on a building site and taught coping strategies to overcome anxiety or mental health issues.
At the end the course, those who completed it were given a brand-new toolkit from our partner organisation Travis Perkins Managed Services, with the aim that the students will be able to carry on learning using their newly acquired tools kits.
Archie Wood, 16, from Kersal, said:
“I thought the course was really good and it gave me something good to do for six weeks in the holidays. I hope it will help me get a job as a bricklayer.”
