Scotland Housing Awards winner 2023

Apprentice of the year

As the organisation’s administrative trainee, Amber is responsible for customer services related activities, welcoming visitors to the building, incoming and outgoing mail, setting up events and liaising with a large number of teams to offer administrative assistance.

Being part of such a large and diverse organisation means that Amber gets to use a range of skills in areas like admin, customer service, networking, call handling and lots more but also has the opportunity to work across different teams. She is mainly based with reception but has already had the chance to work with development and is now regularly with the finance team who are so impressed by her that they have offered her a position until the completion of her apprenticeship.

As Amber explains herself, it is not just a stereotypical customer service job:

“Even the thought of a stereotypical ‘customer service’ job scared me. I hated the idea of speaking to people I’d never met, having to tell people and tenants about this company I didn’t even know myself. I gave it a thought and I ended up going through with the interview process. I am so glad I did now considering the amazing position I am in. It turns out it was nothing like what I thought.

I am so glad I [applied] now considering the amazing position I am in. It turns out [the apprenticeship] was nothing like what I thought.

"I was quiet in school, often excluded from my small group of friends because of how shy I was. I would sit at the back of class and just listen. I would sometimes have panic attacks, making myself sick, and cry the whole bus journey to school then leave before lunch without telling anyone. When I said school isn’t for everyone, some people are better in another environment, I would get funny looks and comments like ‘you need education’, ‘nobody likes school’, ‘if you leave school, you are never going to get a good job’.

Now eight months into my apprenticeship, I am starting to see the hard work paying off with opportunities I have been given.

"I can happily say I proved everyone wrong. Now eight months into my apprenticeship, I am starting to see the hard work paying off with opportunities I have been given. This job has helped me mature, I still have my playful, bubbly personality, which will never change but I have went from a shy, worried, immature teenager to an independent, ambitious and strong woman and I couldn’t be any more proud of myself. This job has brought out the best version of me and that mostly comes down to the lovely and welcoming staff that’s made me feel so at home from day one.”

Amber’s passion for making a positive impact is most evident when she goes above and beyond the requirements of her role to help others. Since starting at Hillcrest, she has independently set up three donation stations in Hillcrest offices for the Dundee Food Bank. She takes monthly trips to deliver all of the donations and is always coming up with other ways to help. At Christmas last year Amber, and two of the other apprentices, set up a giving Christmas tree. She encouraged staff to donate money to have a bauble with their name on the tree and as a result raised £400. For someone who first hated the thought of speaking to people she had never met, Amber’s confidence has grown enormously – she not only communicates with a large group of people internally but is already building relationships with external companies. 

Amber is a well-known face at Hillcrest’s HQ and is always one of the first to volunteer for any additional projects or initiatives. She was happy to be filmed as part of apprenticeship week to encourage others to take up the opportunity and is an active member of Hillcrest’s Young Person’s Group.

Amber was awarded Apprentice of the year at the Scottish Housing Awards 2023, when asked about how she felt about the award and herself she said:

“Since winning this award, I have felt an enormous amount of self-pride and confidence. Hearing everyone’s lovely words, messages, kind gifts and and most importantly the happiness and pride in my family, this has proved that hard work and determination really does pay off. When I heard my name get called on the stage for the winner, I was in total shock, almost disbelief. Everyone in the room cheered, celebrated, laughed, clapped and cried. I seriously could not come to terms with the fact that this was all for me.

"If someone told me one year ago, that I was going to be Scotland’s housing sector apprentice of the year in a year’s time, I genuinely would have laughed in their face. As previously mentioned, a year ago I was an immature little girl, with no ambitions or anything to work towards. At this point, I never saw myself going into a housing career or even getting an apprenticeship. Now a year down the line, I have 13 months left until I gain my qualification, I have developed such strong working relationships, I earn a wage, I can pay for my own car, I work hard, I have won an award, I have found a career that I love and best of all I have matured massively and have a very strong mind-set.

"As much as I can sit here and claim that this was all down to me, it 100 per cent was not just me. I would not be who I am or where I am without the amazing support I have around me, in and out of work. As much as I disliked being worked so hard to start with, I could not thank my manager and colleagues enough. All the hard work and stressful days are so worth it! Of course, not forgetting my supportive family for believing in me from day dot.”

Amber Winton  |  Apprentice

“For anyone reading this, take is as your sign to get into housing, you definitely won’t regret it.”