SEVEN years ago, Paul McFadyen joined Regis Group Plc, the Southend-based property group as a lettings administrator. Today he is the group’s managing director.

Now, Paul wants to extend the same opportunity to another youngster.

Regis Group, a company with about 150 employees locally, has launched an unusual invitation.

Candidates can apply for a full traineeship, designed to give them a thorough grounding in the booming world of professional property rental and management.

The scheme is being launched as a form of competition, with the winner gaining the coveted training place.

Paul said: “We get a lot of applications from young people who want to come in to the business. This competition will provide a gateway for one keen entrant. It offers the chance for them to gain invaluable training and experience, while being paid.

“It will give a local young person, roughly in the 16-18 age range, the opportunity to come and work at Regis Group, and to progress through the company.

“It is not an apprenticeship as such, because it is not linked to the official Government training scheme, but it will work in something of the same way, providing them with a full range of training and experience to build their career.”

There is one quality that Paul will look for in particular in the winner.

He said: “They will need to show that they have some definite interest in property, but we’ll particularly be looking for someone with a sense of entrepreneurial flair.”

He added: “They should also be keen on business, well organised, and have a head for figures. If their CV demonstrates some commitment to the local community, that will also count for a lot.”

Regis’s wide range of interests will give the winner a broad platform for their training. Paul said: “As well as our substantial rental portfolio, we also have a range of freehold properties.

“We buy and sell property, and we provide expert financial and legal analysis for investment purposes. Trainees will have access to – and the chance to learn from – all these aspects of the company.”

Regis maintains a continuous programme of training for all its staff in areas such as negotiating skills and IT, and supports staff in gaining professional qualifications organised by the Institute of Residential Property Managers and the Association of Residential Letting Agents.

Paul said: “I attach a lot of importance to individual professional development. This apprenticeship competition adds a new aspect to that commitment, and also creates a new job and prospective career for someone in the Southend area.”

*l Applicants to the scheme should send or deliver their CVs, along with an account of why they feel they would be suitable for the job, to: Paul McFadyen, Regis Group plc, 16-18 Warrior Square, Southend, SS1 2WS.