Three talented young people are starting to build careers in the property industry after being chosen as housebuilder Banks Homes’ first ever apprentices.
Amy Ward, James Rylance and Kaci Lonsdale have successfully completed a rigorous selection process designed by the County Durham-headquartered firm to help increase the number of staff that it brings through its ranks.
Amy is now working as a Commercial Trainee at the company’s Meadowfield headquarters, while James has moved into a Trainee Assistant Site Manager role and Kaci has joined the business as a Trainee Sales Executive.
Both James and Kaci will be working across a number of Banks Homes’ residential developments in the North East and Yorkshire.
Bespoke apprenticeship training programmes have been developed with Northumbria University, New College Durham and Sunderland College to ensure the new apprentices have access to the outside support they will need as their training progresses.
Each role will also enable the new recruits to gain formal qualifications, including up to degree level, in their respective areas of expertise.
Founded in 2023 and part of North East employer the Banks Group, Banks Homes has an expanding portfolio of high-quality residential sites, with development under way at sites in County Durham, the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire and work due to start in other locations through the rest of this year.
Its apprenticeship programme complements the Banks Group’s longstanding graduate recruitment programme, which offers recruits support in building the key vocational, technical and professional skills needed for their respective roles, as well as opportunities to gain hands-on experience on live projects and evolving plans.
Russ Hall, managing director at Banks Property and Banks Homes, says: “Investing in talent identification is a core part of the Banks Group’s longstanding ‘development with care’ approach, and we have trained many apprentices through our 50-year history who have gone on to enjoy very successful careers both with us and elsewhere.
“Our first apprenticeship programme is the latest stage of this process and combines comprehensive on-the-job training with support of both the highly experienced Banks Homes team and outside institutions who’ve been specially chosen for the specialist expertise they can provide for each role.
“We had an overwhelming response to all three positions, with Amy, James and Kaci showing themselves to be outstanding candidates for the roles they’ve now taken up.
“We have an ambitious, long-term growth strategy in place and our new apprentices will play a hands-on role in its successful delivery while also developing themselves as both professionals and people.”