Foreman Homes, the region's largest and most recognised privately-owned housebuilder, has been announced as a Finalist at the 2019 Housebuilder of the Year Awards in the Best Training Initiative category that also featured leading national construction brands.

Judges scored the Park Gate-based organisation highly for its innovative training and recruitment programmes and its unwavering commitment to giving college-leavers a head start at a time when the numbers of students joining the construction industry are falling. For a regional housebuilder, the challenge to recruit the best staff when competing against the more liberal salary packages offered by national housebuilder is a constant pressure, which is why Foreman Homes devised a different approach as Spencer Drake, Sales and Marketing Director at Foreman Homes, explains.

"We began by attending local schools to give talks to inspire pupils at a younger age,' he reveals. 'We've attended employment fairs, helped students conduct mock interviews and developed a dynamic work experience programme that has seen us recruit several school and college-leavers who have impressed us with their enthusiasm. We've also created special apprenticeship programmes, which include two and three-year schemes that have been tailored to help trainees experience life within various departments and make their career decisions easier. We currently have six apprentices who are working with our teams and this approach is already proving very successful.

'We have Personal Development Plans (PDP) for our existing staff to ensure their career path remains the one that's right for them. For example, five members of staff who joined us as labourers showed great potential and were encouraged to aim high – they've now completed NVQs and have been promoted to new positions. Meanwhile, our Mentoring Programme ensures everyone can pass on their experience when its needed and help build the confidence and trust of everyone here at Foreman Homes.'

The ultimate goal is to ensure all staff feel valued and supported when they want to realise their potential and Foreman is encouraging new talent to remain loyal to the brand through exciting new opportunities that emerge as both the developer and its workforce grows.

Winners of the Housebuilder of the Year Award 2019 will be announced on 24^th October at a gala ceremony at the Intercontinental London – The 02, when the Foreman Homes team will be hoping its training and recruitment initiatives are considered the very best.

For more information about Foreman Homes and its portfolio of stunning new home developments, visit https://www.foremanhomes.co.uk or call 0330 333 7365.