The Housing Traineeship Programme was co-financed by the EU under the Leorardo Da Vinci Programme under the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP). LLP is the Commission's flagship funding programme in education and training. The LLP provides funding for all stages of lifelong learning; for activities at school, at college, at university, in the workplace and in the community. The LLP is made up of several different programmes offering a variety of opportunities.
The Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the programmes that fall under LLP. It focuses on the teaching and training needs of those involved in vocational education and training. In doing so, it bolsters the competitiveness of the European labour market by helping EU citizens to acquire new skills, knowledge and qualifications in different European countries.
The Housing Authority has always been invested in its Human Resources. This is why the Housing Authority applied for the Leonardo Da Vinci (European Community Life Long Learning 2007-2013) programme, in which 40 employees where identified and chosen to participate.
The Leonardo Da Vinci programme offerd the participants a number of training programmes. This placement was considered a continuation of the first Care and Repair Placement.
Furthermore, this placement targeted a new area within the Housing Authority – the management of housing estates. Following the amalgamation with the Department of Social Housing and the Housing Construction and Maintenance, the functions of the Authority increased.
The Housing Traineeship programme, in which 6 employees participated, addressed the skill development of the participants where they were given the opportunity to work in leading housing organizations in England.
The training programmes offered training in Housing Management and Care and Repair services. For this purpose the Manchester ‘Care and Repir’ in Manchester, Rochdale Home Improvement Agency in Rochdale, Hanover AtHome in Suffolk and Golden Gates Housing in Warrington were chosen. The employees received first hand experience on Care and Repair and Housing Management services with the aim to broaden their knowledge, skills and competencies in these areas and to improve the delivery and administration of these services. The training was held in July 2008.