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Jan 24, 2023

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Emanuel Whittaker secure place on Fusion21’s latest framework

Apr 29, 2021

Emanuel Whittaker are over the moon to have been appointed to Fusion21’s Building Safety and Compliance Framework.

Clive Newton, Managing Director at Emanuel Whittaker explained why the contract was so important to our company “We are delighted to have secured a place on Fusion21’s Building Safety and Compliance Framework; we have invested heavily in developing our staff and services to meet the demands of new fire safety and compliance legislation. This Framework will provide vital opportunities to put those skills to good use.”

Phil Woodhead, Category Manager at Fusion 21 said “We are delighted to welcome all of the new suppliers onto the framework, including Emanuel Whittaker Limited. The tender process was highly competitive and the process has identified the best contractors for our members to use.”

Call for more women in construction as we launch apprentice recruitment drive

Sep 21, 2017

Salix Homes and Emanuel Whittaker, together with other partner contractors have launched an apprentice recruitment drive in Salford – and we are calling for more women to consider a career in construction.

Salix Homes are inviting applications, both male and female, for their latest intake of apprentices to work on their multi-million pound investment programme.

Salix Homes have appointed Emanuel Whittaker as one of its principal contractors to deliver their £38million improvement scheme to 2,900 homes across the city over the next three years.

For every £1million invested, Salix Homes and partner contractors have committed to creating two apprenticeship positions for local people, as part of their ‘Earn as You Learn’ initiative.

Sue Sutton, executive director of operations at Salix Homes, said: “We are very proud to work alongside our partner contractors to provide these training and employment opportunities for local people to help them create a better life for themselves.

“We’ve had some tremendous success stories through our apprenticeship programmes – both male and female, so we believe it is important to remember construction in the housing sector is open to all and we want to see more women learning the tools of the trade.

“Only 14% of the workforce in the construction industry is female, but we believe it’s time for a change and women should be able to fulfil their potential and thrive in careers, such as plastering and joinery, that have previously been dominated by men.

“Apprentices represent the future of the sector and our Earn as Your Learn initiative provides a fantastic opportunity for young people, both men and women, to gain valuable skills, experience and qualifications while still taking home a wage.”

The two and three year apprenticeships are run in conjunction with procurement consortium Procure Plus and include positions in a number of principal trades, including plastering, gas engineering and site logistics.

Apprentices will also work towards an NVQ Level 2 and Level 3 qualification.

As well as Emanuel Whittaker, the apprentices will work alongside contractors Sure, The Casey Group and A Connolly Ltd; as well as with Salix Homes’ own Repairs and Maintenance Team.

In the past two years, Salix Homes has recruited 45 apprentices to work across the organisation and with partner contractors, the majority of whom have been with Emanuel Whittaker.

Jake Rawlinson, 22, from Swinton, is a joinery and carpentry apprentice with Emanuel Whittaker working on the Salix Homes partnership and says he’d definitely recommend going down the apprenticeship route.

He said: “My father and uncle are in the building industry, and my interest grew after going out with them and seeing what happened. I also saw the potential to work and possibly progress to other things such as site management.

“I was fortunate enough to be given a great opportunity with Salix Homes and Emanuel Whittaker to do an apprenticeship which I really enjoy – working and being taught at the same time.  I would encourage anyone who is given a similar opportunity to take it up.”

To find out more about the apprenticeship opportunities available with Salix Homes contact Jackie Crook on 0161 779 8966 or email jackie.crook@salixhomes.org. The deadline for applications is Sunday, 24 September.

£600,000 facelift for Salford’s ‘steel’ homes

Mar 16, 2016

A major improvement project to modernise more than 60 steel-built homes in Salford is gathering pace.

Emanuel Whittaker will be working to transform 67 homes on the Weaste Steel estate on behalf of Salix Homes, which owns more than 8,300 homes in central Salford.

The estate, built in 1948, is made up of pre-fabricated-style homes, known as British steel framed houses, which were designed and produced by the British Iron and Steel Federation (BISF).

The non-traditional method of construction became popular following the Second World War as part of a major homebuilding plan to address the housing shortage at that time, as the properties could be built much quicker than traditional brick-built houses.

The £600,000 renovation project will see the properties fitted with new kitchens, bathrooms, windows, doors, electrics and heating systems, as well as given an external facelift and re-painted.

Mark Foster, head of investment at Salix Homes, said: “These steel-framed homes in Weaste represent a real piece of history, but are in great need of modernisation, so this project marks a key milestone in our £22 million investment programme that we are delivering to homes and communities across the city over the next two years.

“Unlike other types of pre-fab homes, these steel-framed houses were built to stand the test of time and have a similar life-expectancy to a traditional brick-built home, but after suffering from lack of investment over the years, we are confident that our improvement programme will ensure these properties are brought back into the 21st century, creating modern and desirable homes that our tenants can continue to be proud of.”

Following the transfer of more than 8,300 homes from Salford Council to Salix Homes last year, the housing provider is carrying out much-needed improvements to 2,200 homes in Salford over the next two years.

John Gallagher, director at Emanuel Whittaker, said: “Modernising these types of properties can be quite complex and requires a different skill set than usual, however, our knowledge and expertise means we are looking forward to tackling this challenging job.

“We will also ensure that we look after the needs of residents during the works to keep disruption to a minimum and maintain our 100 per cent satisfaction rates.” The work on the Weaste Steel estate is expected to be completed by summer this year (2016)

New apprentice recruits start work

Dec 15, 2015

A Salford housing provider and its partner contractors have welcomed their latest intake of apprentices.

Salix Homes, which owns more than 8,300 homes across central Salford, has appointed 36 apprentices this year in a range of roles from construction to customer service.

The recruits, who are all local people aged between 17 and 41, have been employed directly with the housing provider as well as with its partner contractors including construction specialists Emanuel Whittaker, Seddon, and A Connolly Ltd, and property maintenance providers Sure Group.

Among the apprentices is 20-year-old Salix Homes tenant Tom Denton, from Charlestown, Salford, who is an apprentice joiner with Oldham-based Emanuel Whittaker.

Tom said: “I feel really lucky to have been selected for this apprenticeship and being able to earn while I learn. As well as learning a new skill which I know will be useful in the future, it’s good that I am helping to improve my local area.”

The new recruits are working on Salix Homes’ £22million investment programme, which will see improvements made to 2,200 homes in Salford over the next two years including new kitchens, bathrooms, windows and doors.

Mark Foster, head of investment at Salix Homes, said: “We are very proud to work alongside our partner contractors to provide these training opportunities for local people to help them create a better life for themselves. “Apprentices represent the future of the housing sector and we are confident our newest cohort will not only gain valuable skills, experience and qualifications, but will also help us to develop a stronger workforce.”

Over the next five years, Salix Homes will create hundreds of new jobs and training opportunities after tenants voted to transfer the ownership of their homes from Salford Council – a move that has unlocked £75m investment in homes and communities across the city.

John Gallagher, contracts director at Emanuel Whittaker, said: “Emanuel Whittaker is renowned for its apprenticeship training and we have a strong history of working with young people. We are very pleased to be continuing this tradition with this latest selection of recruits at Salix Homes.”

Simon Harrison, managing director at A Connolly Ltd, added: “Our business ethos is to raise awareness of construction careers, and also invest in young people who want to work within the industry. Our commitment to our apprentices is to take them through to NVQ3 in their chosen trade or profession and this has been recognised in our recent award through GM Chamber Wigan business awards in supporting apprentices.”

Maggie Heap, community project manager at Seddon, said: “It is a privilege to be able to welcome our latest raft of recruits 119 years after we first launched in Salford.

“Salix Homes is committed to not only improving people’s home through the improvement works, but also helping young people climb the career ladder. This passion is inspiring and we are delighted to be involved with the project.”

Jane Cunningham, director at Sure Maintenance added: “Well trained, quality gas and electrical engineers are critical, as they keep Salix Homes’ customers safe. We are delighted to have recruited motivated and enthusiastic local people as apprentices to support the on-going future delivery of the Salix Homes electrical and gas services.”

The apprenticeships are run in conjunction with procurement consortium Procure Plus.

Kate Parker, senior regeneration manager at Procure Plus, added: “We are thrilled that both Salix Homes and our contractor partners have provided meaningful, paid employment opportunities for many local people who may have otherwise struggled to secure employment.

“Salix Homes’ commitment to improving properties over the next five years means we can offer full apprenticeships, training people in trades which will ensure they can sustain their own employment for years to come.”