Fifteen young people from Barnet have made their first steps up the career ladder after being chosen as apprentices.

The apprentices, aged between 16 and 24, were selected to work for The Barnet Group, which includes Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet, as part of its commitment to invest in the talents and skills of the community.

Barnet Homes’ director of business services Troy Henshall, said: “Some candidates impressed the panel so much that two were selected for a department which had originally only planned on taking one."

The apprentices will start in September, studying for an NVQ at Barnet and Southgate College.

Barnet Group apprentice Shabina Cannon, who is in the Business Improvement Team, said how much she had benefited from the apprentice scheme.

She added: “I’ve had a really rewarding time here so far. I’m studying for an NVQ in housing at Barnet and Southgate College in Hendon.”

"The best thing has been finding out from our residents what type of training, such as maths or IT skills, that they want to help them improve their job hunting. I’ve also enjoyed volunteering in my own time at the Burnt Oak youth club."