A HOMES giant in Burnley is in the running for a national award for its work in helping trainees and apprentices into work.

Calico’s skills and enterprise department is on a shortlist of six for the ‘groundbreaking service team of the year’ award, in the 2011 Housing Heroes competition.

More than 100 people currently benefit from courses offered by the Centenary Way company, across a range of disciplines.

And a further 150 have been given paid work experience through the firm’s involvement with the Future Jobs Fund.

Run by Inside Housing magazine, the winners will be announced in a ceremony at London’s Hilton Hotel in May.

Wayne Pellow, a Building Foundations trainee joiner, said: “Since becoming an apprentice, my life has just got better and better.

“I was ready to take responsibility for my life. With help, support and the belief of the team, I was able to get my confidence back.”

The team is involved in Building Foundations, which offers 38 placements in the construction trade, and another building industry project, Constructing the Future Lancashire, which provides another 62 apprentice spots.

Social enterprise Calico Interiors has 20 trainee decorators on its books and the company’s academy offers housing or employment support to a further 25.

Stuart Macdonald, Inside Housing’s editor, said: “The competition was really fierce with more than 40 entries in some categories. Well done to Calico for being shortlisted.”