We’re delighted to announce that we have been awarded GOLD-accredited membership via The 5% Club’s 2022-23 Employer Audit Scheme!
This award recognises our significant contribution to the continued development of our employees through “earn & learn” schemes such as Apprenticeships and Graduate Schemes.
Simon Heywood, Managing Director at HBC said
” We are delighted to be awarded Gold Accreditation by the 5% Club because it recognises the good people that have joined our Company showing a willingness to develop their careers and realise their full potential. The support on offer via apprenticeships for all people, no matter their age or previous educational background, is tremendous. I would recommend the apprentice route, to any forward-thinking organisation, attempting to develop a dedicated and knowledgeable team of people.”
We are proud of our investment in our staff members, which is why we joined The 5% Club. The 5% Club is a dynamic movement of employers all of whom are inspired to take positive action for increased, inclusive, and accessible workplace training for all. With a membership which now exceeds 750 companies, The 5% Club represents over 1.6 Million Employees, 93,500 of whom are in “earn and learn” schemes. The Employer Audit is a unique scheme which validates the employers’ activities, explores their future plans and commitments, as well as examining their approaches to quality, social mobility, diversity and inclusion.
Mark Cameron OBE, Chief Executive at The 5% Club said
“Our Employer Audit scheme recognises the efforts of all those Employers who invest in their workforce through a broad range of workplace learning schemes. It is fantastic that in these challenging times so many are able to commit to the Employer Audit and to gain credit for their efforts, and that the majority are striving to expand their schemes over the coming years. Their efforts and achievements are to be applauded.”
Gill Cronin, Director of Operations at The 5% Club added
“Having seen The Club grow to more than 750 members, I am always impressed at the commitment, drive and energy our member’s channel into offering “earn and learn” skills opportunities. To now see so many of these members gain Bronze, Silver and Gold accredited membership of The Club is inspiring and demonstrates how these companies are all contributing to the future of skills in our economy.”
About the 5% Club
- The 5% Club works with UK employers and key influencers to inspire positive action for increased and accessible workplace learning, The goal of The 5% Club is to increase the employment and career prospects of today’s youth and equip the UK with the skilled workforce it needs to safeguard Britain’s economy. The 5% Club was launched in 2013.
- Members sign The 5% Club charter. As a member of The 5% Club, employers state they are: Committed to helping the UK’s growth agenda and acknowledge the importance of developing people as both a business and social imperative; Playing their part in addressing youth unemployment and skills shortage; Pledging to work towards having a minimum 5% of their UK workforce enrolled on formalised apprentice, sponsored student and/or graduate development schemes within five years; Measuring and reporting on their progress annually against the above metric in their Corporate Social Responsibility section of the Annual Report and Accounts or equivalent document; Committed to encouraging other employers to participate in the campaign.
- Membership of The 5% Club numbers more than 750 organisations from across a broad range of sectors as well as size of company, including large corporations as well as SMEs. The total number of employees represented is now more than 1.6m, with circa 93.500 in “earn & learn” schemes.
- For more information about The 5% Club visit https://www.5percentclub.org.uk/
Read more about our apprenticeship and graduate training on our careers page.
