Published date: 10 November 2021

Taking the plunge with Callum

Callum is one of our Maintenance Operatives from Greater Manchester on a Gas Apprenticeship and recently featured in our colleague magazine where he talked about his career and how he accelerated it forward using one of our development opportunities.

I’ve been working in maintenance for around six years with a background in plumbing. I really enjoy what I do as I get to find solutions to difficult problems and meet different people every day.

It isn’t common to find organisations which fund your progression. Often qualifications are paid out of a person’s own pocket, which can put off a lot of people from progressing and developing their skills in Hard FM.

The other crucial factor which influences people taking up qualifications is time. If someone is contracting and paid by the hour, it means any study time is done outside of the working day. Where time is money, it can be a barrier for uptake.

When I joined NHSPS, around 18 months ago, I was told about the investment being made in people with their training and development. I thought this was a game changer. I was actively encouraged to look at how I can upskill myself, which means I’m adding more value to the organisation.

As part of my Gas Apprenticeship, i'll soon complete my Level 3 qualification in Gas Engineering. I’ll also be Gas Safe Registered which has opened up new opportunities for me. I work with two teams, one of them being with the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) Team around Manchester. I’d encourage more people to take the plunge in taking up the development opportunities at NHSPS.

Our apprenticeships

At NHSPS, we are committed to nurturing talent and developing expertise by providing relevant vocational and professional apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships offer exciting opportunities for colleagues to develop their careers and gain a nationally recognised qualification. Apprentices of all ages, in a variety of roles, can benefit from comprehensive learning opportunities and develop their professional skills, supported by on-the-job and off-the-job experience.

Find out more about careers at NHS Property Services here.