Apprentices make the grade with Yeovil firm

THE first three corporate apprentices to be taken on by a local employer have just completed their three-year course - and are all now employed in the business.

Jason Richardson  (pictured above) with Yasmin Denne (left) and Patrycja Rej have spent time in every department across the organisation at Yeovil-based Yarlington Housing Group as part of their apprenticeship in conjunction with Somerset Skills and Learning, and have now all secured positions in the Customer Service Centre.

Jason, aged 19, who joined Yarlington on the programme from PrestonSchool in Yeovil, was really pleased to have chosen the apprentice route as it gave him a chance to try many different jobs before deciding what he wanted to do.

“It has been a great stepping stone into my career,’’ he said.

Before securing his full-time position he spent six months working in the retirement living section of the business.

“This apprenticeship has made me decide what career path I wanted to take,’’ said 18-year-old Yasmin, also from Preston school.

Her experience with Yarlington has given her an insight into the work of the surveyors, a role for which she would like to train in the future.

She is now working within the customer service centre which will broaden her knowledge of the types of issues that the company deals with.

Coming from Poland in 2007 with her family, 20 year old Patrycja was delighted to learn that she has been accepted by Yarlington.

“My tutors at Somerset Skills and Learning and my managers at Yarlington have all helped me so much,” she said. “I love working here and feel so lucky to have been given this chance.’’

Rachel Bailey, form Yarlington, who oversees the apprentice project for Yarlington, added: “These young people are a credit to the scheme and to themselves. We are so proud to have been able to help them through this process, and to enable them all to continue to work with us is just fantastic. I wish them all well for their futures.”

Yarlington offers two corporate apprentice places per year on a rolling two year programme, in addition to the trade apprenticeships. The corporate apprenticeship scheme is now in its third very successful year.

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