Ross Glancy was the successful applicant, becoming the social landlord’s first ever Housing Apprentice.

Ross joins Fife Housing Group for an initial period of one year, during which time he will be given the chance to gain valuable experience, developing knowledge and understanding of all housing activities, whilst working towards obtaining a SVQ and CIH Level 2 in Housing Practice.

Housing manager Beverley Graham explains how this could be the beginning of a bright future for Ross: “This apprenticeship was developed to encourage young people to take their first steps on the path to a career in Housing and, although the position is for one year initially, in the future we would hope to see Ross progress through Level 3 and Level 4 in Housing Studies as well.”

Ross also recognises the opportunity that this role offers and says he has thoroughly enjoyed his first few weeks.

He said: “I was unsure what I wanted to do workwise but, after attending the Modern Apprenticeship in Housing information session, I could really see the possibility of making a career for myself. Everyone at Fife Housing Group has been really friendly and helpful since I started and I am looking forward to working with the team on the challenges ahead.”

Interview - Ross Glancy, Housing Apprentice

Age: 19

What were you doing before this? I was working at Next in Kirkcaldy and also at a small sports shop down Kirkcaldy High Street.

What made you apply for this modern apprenticeship? I hadn’t applied for College or University in sixth year because I wanted to get into full-time work and start making my own money. As an apprentice I knew I would be working but also gaining qualifications which would broaden my knowledge. When I read the job summary it appealed to me as I enjoy working with people. I read up about the apprenticeship more and realised that each day would be different, which made me even more eager to get the job.

How did you find the application and interview process? The application pack was set out so that it was easy to work through, and it wasn’t too long either so I didn’t have to sit through pages and pages of answering questions. I thought the interview process was pretty straight forward and I think by having one stage as a group information session and the other as a one-to-one interview, gave a broad view of the applicants.

Why did the housing sector appeal to you? Again, the fact that I knew the job would involve a lot of work with tenants and that every day would not be the same. Also, there are a lot of different roles within housing, so it opens a lot of doors.

Where would you like this apprenticeship to lead? As far as it can take me, I know there are a lot of different paths I can take, so there are many options I can look into.

Do you have any advice for other young people who might be considering a career in housing? From what I have been involved in so far, it has been very interesting for me. There are many different jobs you can do within Housing and working in different departments can help you make up your mind as to what you actually want to do.