Pacific are delighted to announce that they have been awarded another Gold Award by The 5% Club.
The honour – just announced today (November 9, 2023) – is the second gold standard that recognises the company’s significant contribution to the continued development of all their employees through “earn & learn” schemes such as apprenticeships, graduate schemes and sponsored students’ course placements.
From an impressive membership list of 900 companies across the UK, Pacific were just one of the 120 employers who met the Gold criteria in the Club’s 2023-24 Employer Audit Scheme.
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.
It represents more than 1.6 million workers, 101,000 of whom are in “earn and learn” schemes.
The Employer Audit validates the employers’ activities, explores their future plans and commitments and examine 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 the 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 900 members, I am always impressed at the commitment, drive and energy our members channel into offering skills opportunities.
“To now see 20 per cent of these members gain Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum accredited membership of The Club is inspiring and demonstrates how these companies are all contributing to the future of skills in our economy.”
Launched in 2013, 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.
Members sign a charter and formally commit to helping the UK’s growth agenda and acknowledge the importance of developing people as both a business and social imperative by:
- 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
- ENCOURAGING other employers to participate in the campaign
Gerard McMahon, Managing Director of Pacific – who first secured Gold in the Club’s 2022/23 audit – said: “We are delighted to have again been recognised for our commitment to training and development of young people by The 5% Club.
“As an employee-owned business, it is critical to continually develop our own talent to meet the growing demands of the construction industry.”
