Housing Today’s Good Employment Report - Chapter two: Building skills and careers for the future

Building’s siser title Housing Today this week publishes its exclusive Good Employment Report.

The research project explores existing and emerging solutions that housing organisations are using to improve diversity and inclusion within their teams and address current and future skills shortages.

It focuses on practical actions rather than policy or market challenges, aiming to surface and share effective strategies.

The research took evidence from a cross-section of large and medium-sized housing organisations ensure variation in scale, workforce size and geographic reach, with each nominating a relevant leader to contribute.

>>Click here for Chapter one: Innovating in recruitment now

Throughout this week, Housing Today is publishing chapters of the report, with the full findings being launched at our Good Employer Guide Live conference in London on Thursday, 6 March.

Click here for details about Good Employer Guide Live.

Here is the second chapter of the Good Employment Report:

Chapter 2: Building skills and careers for the future

Upskilling, apprenticeships and creating clear progression pathways 

Ensuring a skilled, future-ready workforce requires investment in training, apprenticeships and clear career progression pathways. As industries evolve, employers must focus on upskilling existing staff, attracting new talent through apprenticeships, and creating structured career routes that enable employees to develop and advance. By prioritising these efforts, organisations can build a resilient workforce, improve retention and future-proof their industries. 

Delivering faster, more bespoke training 

A lack of suitable, flexible training provision is making it difficult to equip workers with the skills that they need – both now and in the future. In response, employers are finding innovative ways to accelerate apprenticeships, partner with training providers and create their own in-house solutions. 

Andy George highlighted how apprenticeship scheme reforms enabled Barratt Redrow to deliver faster apprenticeships, with bricklaying and carpentry programmes now delivered in 14 months through block weeks rather than day release. However, smaller employers struggle to find education partners – as noted by Hannah Gibson, head of organisational effectiveness at Sovereign Network Group, and Sam Knight, group HR director at MJ Gleeson – particularly in regions where apprentices must travel long distances to access training. Andy George agreed that in some locations, certain training was not viable for providers. 

To overcome these challenges, Tom Arey, director of PfP Thrive at Places for People, described launching PfP Thrive, the organisation’s own training provider offering apprenticeships, short courses and leadership training for the whole sector. The initiative tackles skills shortages by ensuring a future workforce, helps future-proof qualifications to keep pace with industry changes and improves training quality by making courses more housing-specific. This includes integrating customer service skills and training apprentices to spot issues such as damp and mould – elements often missing from traditional construction-heavy curriculums. 

PfP Thrive also embeds diversity-focused recruitment. Before advertising roles publicly, apprentice positions are first offered to eight organisations supporting under-represented groups, including youth employment initiatives and disability inclusion programmes. If these organisations cannot fill the roles, they are then advertised more widely. 

Additionally, PfP Thrive is trialling social value contracts, requiring contractors to route apprenticeships through its programme or, where this is not feasible, sponsor social housing tenants through a nine-week employability and plumbing training scheme. This approach creates direct pathways into employment while supporting industry-wide efforts to fill critical skills gaps. 

By taking a more tailored and proactive approach to training and recruitment, organisations are ensuring the right skills are developed while expanding opportunities for diverse and under-represented talent. 

Retain talent or grow the supply chain? 

Many trade apprentices transition to self-employment as they gain experience – a common path in sectors like construction, where joiners, electricians and other tradespeople often move away from direct employment. While housing associations focus on retaining apprentices as long-term employees, housebuilders see apprentices joining the supply chain as a success, ensuring a steady stream of skilled workers trained to their standards. 

MJ Gleeson’s Sam Knight noted that around 50% of apprentices progress into further education or promotions, while many others enter the wider subcontractor network. Barratt Redrow’s Andy George highlighted that 80% of apprentices stay within the subcontractor network, with 70% continuing to work on housebuilders’ sites. This movement is expected and actively supported through training on self-employment and business management, helping apprentices navigate the realities of running their own trades business. 

Beyond technical skills, apprentices carry forward company culture and values into the supply chain. Barratt Redrow’s Gemma Webb explained that former apprentices who become subcontractors already understand expectations around professionalism, customer service and teamwork, creating a virtuous circle where companies benefit from having well-trained, culturally aligned subcontractors. 

In contrast, housing associations prioritise long‑term retention to sustain a directly employed workforce. Places for People’s Tom Arey and Clarion’s Catrin Jones stressed the importance of offering career security, pensions and flexible working to make direct employment more attractive. While housing associations cannot always compete on pay, they focus on enhancing employment terms and conditions to appeal to apprentices looking for stability and long-term benefits. 

For some organisations, local connections naturally drive retention. WHG’s Ruth Onions noted her association has little difficulty keeping apprentices, as many have family ties within the company and expect to stay long term. However, this stability can also limit diversity of thought and skills development, requiring active efforts to broaden recruitment and training approaches. 

Grow your own talent – upskilling instead of hiring 

Faced with skills shortages and the challenge of improving diversity at mid and senior levels, many organisations are prioritising internal development over external hiring. By investing in structured career pathways and leadership development, employers can retain talent, build critical skills and create clear progression routes – ensuring that the diversity seen in frontline roles is carried through to senior levels. 

Jenni Salkeld, diversity and wellbeing business partner at Home Group, highlighted the use of career conversations to enable employees to explore lateral and upward moves within the organisation. Similarly, Great Places Housing Group’s Elaine Johnson described how contact centres serve as a strong internal talent pipeline, as employees gain broad business knowledge that prepares them for advancement into other roles. Panel members noted that such lateral movement can help break down organisational barriers and promote understanding. 

Some organisations have taken this further by introducing formal targets. Places for People’s Tom Arey described Flight Path, a structured framework with eight different leadership programmes, designed to push employees through different levels of management. By committing to 80% internal mobility for management roles, the organisation aims to improve diversity at senior levels by ensuring that the diverse frontline workforce has opportunities to progress. Over the past two years, internal management mobility has increased from 42% to 60%, with a target of 80% by 2028. Tracking how diversity changes at different levels will provide insight into whether additional interventions are needed to remove barriers to progression. 

Beyond leadership pathways, some employers are mapping apprenticeship routes to create clear progression pathways. Barratt Redrow’s Andy George described how apprenticeships have been connected from level 2 through to level 7, ensuring that those who enter the organisation at entry level can see a long-term career path ahead. This structure enables employees to move across disciplines, allowing, for example, a bricklayer labourer to progress into a commercial role and eventually become a commercial manager. 

Meanwhile, with retrofit expertise in high demand but short supply, some organisations have struggled to find suitably skilled staff. However, Tom Arey highlighted a more sustainable approach – reskilling existing tradespeople instead of creating a separate workforce. By integrating retrofit training into existing roles, organisations can fill skills gaps more efficiently while providing career development opportunities for their workforce. 

Reverse mentorship: learning from employees 

Reverse mentoring is emerging as a powerful tool for fostering leadership learning, inclusion and cultural awareness within organisations. By pairing senior leaders with employees from diverse backgrounds, these programmes help bridge knowledge gaps and create more informed, inclusive leadership teams. 

Tom Arey described how Places for People implemented Mentor Exchange, a platform that functions like a matching system. Executives identify areas where they want to expand their understanding – whether on ethnicity, socioeconomic background or other lived experiences – and are connected with employees who can offer first-hand perspectives. 

Carrie Dunn, the head of HR at Taylor Wimpey, highlighted the importance of clearly communicating the benefits. An earlier scheme failed to gain traction, with executives unclear of the value. To address this, the programme was integrated into the organisation’s talent management strategy to provide a structured opportunity for senior leaders to engage directly with employees identified as rising stars. This gave the programme a clearer purpose, making it more attractive to executives and elevating its status internally. Demand increased significantly, leading to two cohorts being run in a single year. 

The programme also delivered unexpected outcomes, including an increase in ethnic-minority job applicants, who had heard about the initiative and viewed it as a sign of genuine organisational commitment to diversity. One challenge arose when some junior employees from ethnic-minority backgrounds reported having largely positive workplace experiences, making it difficult to engage in discussions about systemic challenges. To address this, the programme introduced broader discussions on societal issues, ensuring meaningful conversations while avoiding overly personal or individualised narratives. 

Supporting individuals from under-represented groups 

In organisations where women and ethnic minority employees are under-represented, targeted support programmes can help build confidence, strengthen networks and improve retention. These initiatives are not designed purely for career progression but rather to help individuals navigate workplace cultures where they may be in the minority, creating a greater sense of belonging and professional support. 

Gemma Webb described how Barratt Redrow runs self-nominated support programmes for women and for ethnic-minority employees. These focus on helping participants build networks, navigate workplace culture and develop confidence. Given the matrixed structure of the organisation, some employees may find themselves as the only representative of their background in a team, office or site, making these networks particularly valuable. While not designed as promotion pathways, they have led to 50% higher retention rates and have helped uncover hidden skills within the workforce, empowering participants to take greater control of their careers. 

Meanwhile, at Great Places, the Sharon Hayes empowerment programme (SHe), created in memory of a former director of technical services who was passionate about supporting women in tech, focuses on women in male-dominated fields, such as construction, tech and asset management. It seeks to provide skills and support needed to progress into leadership roles. Participants complete a level 2 leadership qualification and receive mentorship from senior female leaders over a 12-week programme, which culminates in a graduation ceremony. Beyond technical skills, the programme has been particularly impactful in boosting self-esteem, confidence and professional awareness, helping women to recognise and leverage their existing strengths.

>>Click here for Chapter one: Innovating in recruitment now