We worked with one of the UK's biggest housebuilders to create a tailor-made degree programme for their staff.

What we did

Barratt Developments are one of the country's largest housebuilders. They've been building homes for over 50 years, and now directly employ more than 4,000 people in 26 divisions across the UK. And with such a big workforce operating in a wide range of areas, it was a real challenge to provide training and development that worked for everyone.

What Barratt really wanted was to offer its employees the chance to study for a degree – but one which was tailor-made to meet the specific demands of the industry. Sheffield Hallam University has already developed a successful bespoke programme for construction company Kier, so we were the ideal partner to help Barratt in their quest.

The result

Working in partnership with Barratt, lecturers in our Department of Natural and Built Environment put together a tailor-made programme. The Foundation Degree in Residential Development and Construction combined classroom teaching with applied learning in the working environment. 50 of the company's employees started their degrees in January 2014, each one supported by a personal mentor. A second group of students started the following January.

They say

The University staff have worked collaboratively with us from the outset, ensuring the programme meets our business requirements, and the needs of the industry as a whole. What seemed like a challenging project at the start has been in reality a straightforward and seamless journey due to the professionalism and expertise of the University staff.

Suzie Flynn, graduate and future talent manager, Barratt Developments