Bloom, the new apprenticeship academy for letting and estate agents, has merged with a major national training company two months before its launch.
The merger is with the 3A Group (Aspire Advance Achieve), a national accreditation training provider.
Bloom’s MD, Greg Morrall, pictured, said of the move: “This is a huge vote of confidence, not only in our business model, but also in the way forward for professional estate agency.
“3A’s experience, credibility and funding capability means that we can fast-track our expansion plans. We now aim to have three training centres launched by the end of 2011 with each one delivering 100 apprentices per annum. Nothing of this scale has been seen in the estate or letting agency industry to date.
“We have had huge support from our sponsors such as Homelet and VTUK, and a 98% acceptance rate from all the agents we have approached in the Midlands. We are, however, limiting the apprentices to just one per branch at this stage.”
3A has over 80 employees, with clients such as Balfour Beatty, DHL/Jaguar, TNT and Bombardier.
3A’s MD, Peter Marples, said: “We are really impressed with Bloom’s focus on ensuring that their estate and letting agency apprentices are not only fully trained to NFoPP Technical Award and Level 3 NVQ standards, but that apprentices also gain vital business, IT and communication skills that will add real value to their employer following their six-month apprenticeship.”
Comments
Terry Katona: "AIN'T BROKEN"?? Take those blinkers off, mate, before you have a serious accident...
Of course I support proper training of Estate Agents - who doesn't? I am not posting comment on maybes, possiblys, and coulds, as you are. I am responding to the facts as published.
But, then, all Agents see only negatives - as is patently clear on this site...
Bring on the next generation - without the hang-ups!
PB you are in fact blinkered, you have not realised that all these newbie's will want work once qualified, and if they can't find an employer, then they will possibly set up on their own, either working from home or otherwise, thus undercutting each other and everyone else, this would be the result of training companies churning out agent's by the hundred if not thousands by the year, a scheme that you support!.
Newbies will want to get back their training fee's one way or another, once they realise thay have been hoodwinked.
This academy set's a dangerous precedence in my view why fix something that ain't broken?.
Terry Katona: I have missed no point. I agree with you that 'sharks' swim in our waters, and that given half a chance they will swim right up and bite some on the @r $£! However, we are not talking about the future, we are talking about now. The industry could well do with new blood - and what better than one with at least a grounding and at best a sound understanding of the job.
In your first post you state "So potentially 300 brand new estate agents will be churned out every year by the end of 2011 production line style..." How many new entrants into the industry do you imagine there are per annum now? I would say that a mere 300 will be lost in the statistics - but would at least be the best of the bunch. Can I remind you that ANYONE can apply for a job; it is the employer's responsibility to choose the most suitable/qualified candidate for the job. Employers are all too quick to blame the employee when things don't work out - but THEY chose them, so at least part of the blame must be shouldered at that level.
Don't you be shocked by my naivety. I am comfortable with my position on the argument. Instead be shocked by your own blinkeredness...
PB you are totally missing the point other posters have made, The danger is that once someone set's up training acadamies, other's will see there is money to made from training estat agents, i'm not refering to the company in the article, but there are many training sharks out there, and they are not interested if it leads to oversupply, lowering of standards and lowering of wages, all they care about is churning out barely qualified newbies and overcharging students for next to useless qualifications, we have seen this happen in many industries, IT, plumbing, electrician, building trades, driving schools, there is no reason why it can't happen to this industry,
Your naivety is quite is quite shocking!.
Colin - Why do you think that "It goes without saying" that you trained in London? It wasn't apparent in your posts - and the phrase 'So what?' springs to mind in any case...
This is in no way akin to the Great DEAs/HIs debacle. Estate Agency is an established industry which requires influx of new blood to replace those who leave - for whatever reason.
I would suggest that you and the other poster have read no other additional information regarding the scheme, and are simply reacting to this one isolated report.
Perhaps Richard Rawlings would like to step forward at this point?
It goes without saying I trained in London! My point is the market is sluggish so were to these academy's say you will get a job from? Secondly and more worrying this stinks of the scams when DEAs, HIs, were called to a new industry?? Many lost thousands by being lead to false hopes. That market is now flooded so have they moved on? For the record this is not "sower grapes" as I still work as a DEA, I am pointing out the pitfalls of jumping into a new industry that can be incestuous at best. That siad I wish you all the luck with your new skills
Hang on - why do the previous posters seem to have a problem with new blood entering the industry? These potential Agents will have gained 6 months proper training - a whole 6 months more than anyone else new to the industry!
Instead of pouring scorn, you should remember - and be grateful, as I am - that someone, at sometime, saw something in YOU to allow you the opportunity.
Or were you just BORN an experienced Estate Agent?
Why is it people think you can become an agent in a few weeks, it take years of hands on exp. who will take these newbies on too?
The market is hard now why do these idiots think we need more inexperienced people coming into the industry.
So potentially 300 brand new estate agents will be churned out every year by the end of 2011 production line style, But what's to stop other training providers doing the same and not limiting it to within the industry, this could lead to a frenzy of training providers all offering similar qualification for those made newly reduntant and then flooding the market, where will they all work?.
Seems to me training is where the money is nowadays whatever industry you work in. i can see the ad's now, become an estate agent in 2 weeks, oh boy !!.