Tell us who you are and what you do?
I’m Ben Hanson and I’m the Head of Strategy, Market Intervention and Growth in the Neighbourhoods and Housing Service. It’s a hugely varied role that I’m really grateful to be trusted with – it essentially covers responsibility for developing overarching housing strategy, figuring out what to do with existing housing stock, driving up standards in the private rented and supported housing sectors, delivering adaptations to people’s homes and getting new homes built. It’s a lot, but I love it.
What was your apprenticeship and when did you start it?
My apprenticeship started back in 2006, I did IT software (at NVQ level 2)… my work placement was in the Council Tax Recovery Team. I started about four weeks after finishing secondary school – I remember needing to ask to go and pick up my GCSE results one morning and being back at my desk by lunchtime. Sat there, basking in the bitter disappointment that were my exam results!
Why did you choose this?
I’m not sure that I did! I had a wonderful careers advisor at secondary school who worked with me to figure out what I might want to do and in the end she helped me to complete application forms for all sorts of opportunities – she encouraged me to do taster days and got me interviews for all sorts of stuff. I think she was worried that, because I absolutely did not want to go to sixth form or college, there was a risk I might end up getting to the end of school and falling into unemployment. Anyway – I went to an interview at ITeC and they got me sorted with a course and work placement within a week of leaving secondary school. So, it was mostly luck that I ended up here but I’m very grateful that she stuck with me (and that my parents ran around taking me to interviews and open days all over the place).
What was your journey following the course?
I got a permanent job in the Neighbourhoods and Housing Service the next year and then did all sorts of stuff before ending up where I am now. I’ve worked in children’s services, did some bits for the NHS but 90% of my career has been spent in a housing role of some sort or another. I ended up doing another apprenticeship later on as well – I did a chartered manager degree apprenticeship 2017 – 2020. It was a bit different to my first one (!) but again, a great way of learning whilst on the job
What do you think the course enable you to do or learn?
I think learning on the job, in a proper workplace, is the main benefit of an apprenticeship. Figuring out how to conduct yourself in a professional environment whilst learning the technical skills you need to do the job is what lots of young people need that it’s crazy to me apprenticeships aren’t the foremost option for the vast majority of school leavers. It’s not for everyone, sure, but an apprenticeship just seems so obviously the best of both worlds to me. I mean during that apprenticeship year I got in a fair bit of trouble because I wanted to talk to everyone all of time and understand what everyone did and why they did it and how everything worked – so I was a huge distraction to everyone who worked there for most of my time there! But that’s how you learn to conduct yourself in the workplace and how you understand the organisation you work for; some of the many benefits of an apprenticeship.
What advice would you give anyone considering an apprenticeship?
Go for it. My time spent as an apprentice is the thing that cemented my 20 year career at Hull City Council – it set me up with real world experience, some technical skills and a recognised qualification in the space of 12 months or so. Apprenticeships are unmatched in that respect and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.