On the right pathway with an apprenticeship in Northern Ireland Housing Executive

My name is Megan Treacy and I’m in my first year of the NIHE Housing Apprentice programme. My current role is in frontline housing administration in Magherafelt district office within Mid-Ulster. 

I decided to join the Housing Apprentice programme within NIHE as I have diverse experience in the customer service sector, with some experience of people management also. 

I really enjoy working with people to help find solutions, so I wanted to progress towards a role with a purpose that aligns with my personal career value of making a difference. As this is a core value for NIHE as well, it felt like a natural choice to apply to work here. 

The apprenticeship programme was the right pathway for me as I had customer service experience, but no specific experience within the social housing sector. 

As a result, the model of working towards qualifications while gaining work experience was very appealing – I could enhance my knowledge while applying it in practice. 

My journey to this programme started when I began applying for positions after a break from work. At this time, I began working with the NOW Group – this organisation helps autistic people find and sustain employment. 

As I was only diagnosed in 2021, I hadn’t availed of support until this point, so this was incredibly helpful for me when re-entering the job market.

During my job search, my NOW Group worker emailed me to say, ‘Would you be interested in a role with the Housing Executive?’ 

She emailed me the application link and the Teams information session link – the role really intrigued me, and the Teams session confirmed that the programme would be a great introduction to a career in social housing. 

Thankfully, I was successful in my application and I’m very grateful to be in the programme now! 

So far, the Apprenticeship programme has been very eye-opening, with lots to learn and a very busy schedule. The two-year programme includes two work placements in different core roles within Housing Services, two academic qualifications and apprentice development events. 

My current role in housing administration is very interesting – I’m learning about the administrative duties involved in delivering homelessness solutions, like taking triage calls for people declaring themselves homeless and applying for social housing. 

I’ve learned about different reports, adaptations, inspections, spreadsheets, jobs – there is so much to learn within this role that I could write a whole separate post about just my responsibilities! 

I’m really enjoying this role and office – I’ve had great support from many experienced, knowledgeable colleagues who’ve been so kind to me from day one. They also help me develop professionally by reminding me to stay curious and keep asking questions if I need to. 

I also completed a project for my Area Manager which really helped me understand and get to know my role in my region better. 

As mentioned, I’m also studying two Level 3 certificates in Housing Practice accredited by CIH and OCN NI, delivered by North West Regional College. Our learning is delivered through in-person and online sessions with Housing Apprentices across NIHE and various Housing Associations. 

We’ve completed modules about different areas of housing like homelessness services and prevention, professional skills for housing, and the housing system to name a few. The content is varied, engaging and relevant to my role.

The supplementary development days arranged by the Workforce Development Team also nicely complement our college content and are often shared with all apprentices across the Housing Associations. This is great to help us develop a network of contacts, while building support and friendships too. 

On our busiest weeks, this can sometimes look like three days in office, one in college and one on a development day – it is a fun challenge to balance the different responsibilities with life commitments. Having friends who are on the same path makes everything more enjoyable – the ‘housing girls’ WhatsApp group is going strong!

Looking forward to the next few months, our class will embark on semester two of our Level 3 qualifications – this term’s modules are very interesting, and I’m intrigued to learn about different topics.

I’m also looking forward to the upcoming ‘getting to know the business’ development day as it will help me understand more about Housing Services and its place in the organisation and the wider sector. 

I feel more settled and comfortable in my role after four months and am excited to see what new challenges are ahead.