National housebuilder St. Modwen Homes has launched a dedicated apprenticeship programme to further enhance the skills of its sales consultants and elevate its award-winning customer service.
The apprenticeship provides St. Modwen Homes’ site-based, digital and trainee sales consultants with the opportunity to develop their skills while securing an industry-recognised qualification.
Delivered by Mercuri International, the Sales Executive Apprenticeship provides learners with a hybrid of practical and theory-based learning, earning them a Level 4 qualification and a diploma in sales from the Association of Professional Sales. Across the 18-month programme, apprentices will gain a deeper insight into topics such as customer engagement, markets and competition, and digital sales technology – building on the success of the housebuilder’s shift to digital sales during Covid-19.
Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, in 2020 St. Modwen Homes was awarded HBF five-star home builder status for customer satisfaction.
It is expected that over a quarter of St. Modwen Homes’ sales consultants will join the apprenticeship programme in 2021, with the new scheme set to run annually alongside its existing construction, technical and commercial apprenticeships.
“We have a proud track record of growing talent through our apprenticeship programmes and there is a great level of excitement at the introduction of our first sales apprenticeship.
Jo Winston, Sales & Marketing Director at St. Modwen Homes
“Our sales consultants play a crucial part in our success by bringing the St. Modwen brand to life through the sales process and supporting buyers through their homebuying journey. For those looking to further develop their skills, this programme brings an opportunity for them to grow their knowledge, boost their confidence, and earn a recognised qualification. We have already seen significant demand from consultants looking to enrol in our first year and we are looking forward to following their success.”
Barry Hilton, Managing Director & Global Partner at Mercuri International, said: “Mercuri International is both delighted and excited about working with St Modwen Homes. The company’s vision and values are well aligned with the learner-focused, ethical, customer-centric aspirations of the Sales Apprenticeship. The level of enthusiasm and engagement shown at every level within St. Modwen Homes for this initiative has been extremely impressive. We can’t wait to get started.”
The apprenticeship programme further support’s St. Modwen’s education and future skills ambitions, in which it has pledged to invest 1% of its cash profits every year into education partnerships by 2025, making a positive impact on over 20,000 young people.
“Working with sales training experts like Mercuri, the Association of Professional Sales is firmly committed to expanding sales expertise through apprenticeships, alongside a wide range of tailored accreditations, supported by self-directed learning. It’s a huge positive step forward to see a company the size of St Modwen leading the way with this vision within the house building sector by embracing the use of the Sales Executive L4 Apprenticeship Standard as a means to upskill their workforce.”
Dan Hodgetts, Head of Operations & Quality, The Association of Professional Sales
Find out more about careers with St. Modwen, here: www.stmodwen.co.uk/careers
