The organisation has become a trustee of the
Regeneration Brainery, an immersive experience that
pairs 16-21-year-olds with well-known mentors from
across the industry.
Following a successful pilot last summer, Homes England
have sponsored 2018’s programme, with the first
week-long Brainery taking place in Manchester this
Easter. It will be followed by two further events in
other city centre locations later this year.
The Brainery is completely free for young people to
take part and features a mix of visits to construction
sites; interactive workshops; visits to workplaces; and
practical tips and skills to get ahead in the industry.
It is part of a drive to challenge perceptions of
regeneration, promoting people from a diverse array of
backgrounds to play a role in shaping our towns and
cities.
The brainchild of Manchester-based property developers
CAPITAL&CENTRIC, the Regeneration Brainery could
become a blueprint for encouraging ambitious young
people into other industries across the UK, in turn
creating inclusive communities.
Mentors include property developers; investors; local
authority figures including Chief Executives; project
managers; agents; planners; designers; architects; and
marketers.
More trustees are to be announced soon.
Nick Walkley, Chief Executive of Homes England, said:
“Creating vibrant new places and providing quality
homes for people should be hugely inspiring career
choices. Unfortunately, the opposite is true and as an
industry we’re really struggling to attract young
people to replace those who are retiring in the next
few years. The housing crisis is as much a skills
crisis.
“So, we need to work much harder and smarter to change
perceptions of our industry and show how we’re making
it more diverse, more modern and more progressive for
young people who want to build a career while
contributing to society.
“I’m determined that the new Homes England will show
real leadership on these issues, so we didn’t hesitate
to support the Regeneration Brainery, which is a
brilliant, innovative scheme with real potential.”
Tim Heatley, co-founder of CAPITAL&CENTRIC said:
“If we’re to going to push the boundaries of how our
cities and towns grow in the future, we need new ideas
and creative thinkers. The launch of the Regeneration
Brainery is timely, given the ongoing conversations
about equality and diversity across almost every
industry in the UK - especially property. There’s a lot
of people accepting there’s a challenge, but few
practical ideas of how to bring about change.
“For me, widening the pool of talent coming into the
industry is essential. Doing so will bring fresh
experiences; viewpoints; ideas and solutions. It’ll
mean our built environments start to better reflect the
people living in their communities – and that’s to be
championed.
“We’re chuffed Homes England are our first trustee. The
Brainery is a practical way to fire up young people to
aspiring to a career in regeneration.”
