Opening doors
Amanda Protheroe discusses the role of housing education in providing graduates equipped for the changing context of housing
The recent CIH/Wheatley report, Frontline Futures, highlighted the need for the new housing professional to be well connected, creative, commercial, able to use and evaluate data, flexible and engaged. A ‘social heart with a commercial head’ is a phrase used within the report.
The report outlines the challenges to housing educators in finding the right balance between providing relevant knowledge and developing skills and attributes. This requirement mirrors findings that suggest that employers throughout Britain are looking for highly employable graduates with the right approach to progress their careers and to perform well in their roles.
Universities have begun responding to this challenge and Cardiff Metropolitan is not alone in embedding employability and skills development in its courses and extra- curricular opportunities.
So how can the housing course maximise its student’s skills and employability?
The answer to this is working in partnership. We have an advantage by being a professional course, validated by the CIH, but what is crucial is working with our practice partners to enhance the course and provide both staff and students development opportunities.
Employer forums and strategic partnership arrangements allow employers to contribute and comment on the content of the course as well as deliver lectures. The provision of placements, internships, volunteering, PhDs has also impacted on the skills and attributes development of the student and also allows the employing organisation to access research and data evaluation and project management skills for the benefit of the organisation itself.
The course has recently used the Santander Internship Scheme to access funding to offer internships to cofunding housing organisations. Evaluation of the outcomes of these internships suggests that that are going a long way in helping us to prepare the graduates.
Jason Wroe, director of housing at Newydd Housing Association, says: ‘Newydd recently appointed an intern to analyse tenant profiling data. We used the internship route as we felt that students who had recently finished their studies would have the experience, motivation and skills needed to effectively analyse data and statistics.
‘We found the Santander internship to be very beneficial to the company. It meant we could trial a post in the organisation with a reliable candidate which turned out to be very successful, leading us to extend her post for a further six months.’
‘Newydd is very happy to recommend the Santander Universities SME Internship Programme as a very valuable resource to support smaller organisations to expand and diversify.’
This positive view is mirrored by Kath Deakin, community services manager at Monmouthshire Housing Association:
‘The involvement of the university’s housing faculty staff was instrumental in the success of the recruitment process. We were able to determine between us the most suitable candidates as well as be really clear about our expectations of the work they would be asked to carry out.
‘We found it a very effective method of sourcing future talent for our business as well as being able to add to our resources to carry out some additional bespoke research and project work.
‘The internship programme gives a business more freedom to take risks with sourcing untested talent. Being able to offer a paid internship means that the opportunity can be accessed by a much more diverse group of students and graduates.’
As we enter our 25th anniversary of delivering housing courses at Cardiff Metropolitan, we are determined to remain outward looking and relevant to the sector and to equip our students as best we can to be the next generation of housing professionals able to respond to the demands of the new era of housing practice.
It is fitting that the final word should go to Jess, our student, who secured a full time post with Monmouthshire at the end of her internship: ‘I very much appreciate the support I’ve been given not just from Kath but also from most members of staff at MHA. I am now looking forward to continue to thrive in my new position as a tenant and resident involvement support officer apprentice. Following on from my internship I am excited to proceed into this next role and continue to move closer to my aspirations.’
Amanda Protheroe is employability and entrepreneurship coordinator at Cardiff Metropolitan University and a member of the housing studies team. Email: aprotheroe@cardiffmet.ac.uk