At NCHA, we believe in supporting our people to grow and develop because when our employees thrive, so do our customers. Emma Cresswell’s journey is a perfect example of how investing in learning and development can unlock potential and strengthen our organisation.
Emma’s housing apprenticeship journey
Investing in our people
When Emma joined our Property Services team in 2020, she had no prior experience in housing. However, her curiosity and drive to learn quickly became evident. She wanted to understand how different areas of housing connected to deliver better outcomes for our customers.
To support her ambition, we encouraged and enabled Emma to take on an apprenticeship in Housing and Property Management, a decision that has since transformed her career.
Balancing work with professional growth
At NCHA, we understand that learning while working is a challenge. That’s why we provided Emma with:
- A dedicated study day each week to focus on her coursework.
- Flexible support from her manager, adjusting her schedule when needed.
- Access to expert-led training through Access Training, ensuring her learning was relevant and practical.
This approach allowed Emma to successfully balance her job responsibilities with her studies, making her learning journey both manageable and meaningful.
Emma’s apprenticeship equipped her with a deep understanding of housing, covering everything from tenancy types and homelessness prevention to the impact of housing design on wellbeing. This knowledge has transformed how she approaches her role, allowing her to:
- See the bigger picture - understanding how arrears, repairs, and customer wellbeing are interconnected.
- Engage with customers more effectively, using insight and empathy to provide better support.
- Gain confidence in decision-making, knowing she has the expertise to tackle housing challenges.
The power of investing in people
Emma’s journey highlights our commitment to developing talent. By supporting professional development, we’re not only helping our employees grow, we’re improving the services we provide to our customers.
Emma’s advice to others considering further study? “Go for it! Learning can open doors you didn’t even know existed.”
We’re proud to be an organisation that nurtures ambition and helps our people reach their full potential. Emma’s success is just one example of how investing in our people creates a stronger, more knowledgeable workforce, ready to make a real difference.
View job vacancies and apprenticeship opportunities at NCHA.
