The 5% Club Employer Audit – Aptus maintains Gold

We are thrilled to have been awarded Gold Membership by The 5% Club for 2024-2025 in their annual Employer Audit.

This is the second year running we have achieved Gold, which recognises our commitment to apprenticeships, training and the development of our workforce. To achieve this status, a minimum of 5% of our employees must participate in ‘earn and learn’ roles. Aptus has exceeded this benchmark, with 25 employees – 9.0% of our workforce – engaged in such positions. ‘Earn and learn’ initiatives include Apprenticeships, Graduate Schemes, and Sponsored Student Placements such as T Levels.

The aim 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.

In 2022 Aptus signed The 5% Club charter, pledging to drive training and career pathways for young people in the utilities and construction sector. We solidified this commitment by launching the Aptus Academy – a forum that enhances the career prospects of colleagues on different learning and training development plans, offering them the chance to acquire new skills and knowledge.

The Employer Audit evaluates five areas of employers’ recruitment, training, developing, and employment of ‘earn and learn’ employees.

We seized the earliest opportunity to participate in The 5% Club Employer Audit, which enables us to annually benchmark and monitor our progress. Employers taking part are encouraged to have at least 5% of their workforce in ‘earn and learn’ positions within five years. In 2023, our first year, we surpassed this goal and were awarded Gold in acknowledgment of our robust apprenticeship programme and the valuable employment opportunities we provide within our company.

Following the expansion of our training to encompass T Levels in 2023, we were pleased to see The 5% Club include these technical qualifications within their criteria for sponsored students in 2024. This recognition underscores the value of T Levels as a career pathway, offering substantial benefits within the construction and utilities sector.

The 5% Club’s growing network of over 1,100 forward-thinking employers are dedicated to driving positive change in an evolving skills landscape. We are proud to be part of this progressive movement and participating in The Employer Audit allows us to uphold our commitment by allowing us to comprehensively assess our initiatives, set future objectives, and reaffirm our commitment to social mobility, diversity, and inclusion.

Natasha Clarke, Aptus’ People Director, said:

“We are proud to maintain our Gold status in The 5% Club, affirming our team’s dedication to providing high-quality training. This ensures that Aptus remains a leader in technological innovation within our industry and is prepared for the upcoming skills challenges.

“It is an honour to be recognised as one of the UK’s leading organisations dedicated to promoting skills and career development, and we are committed to enhancing these opportunities wherever possible.”

Mark Cameron OBE, Chief Executive at The 5% Club, commented:

“We are incredibly proud of the outstanding employers, like Aptus Utilities, who have gone above and beyond to invest in the future of their workforce through a diverse range of ‘earn and learn’ initiatives. Their dedication, especially during these challenging times, deserves to be celebrated. By achieving Gold membership, Aptus has shown an exceptional commitment to shaping the skills of tomorrow, contributing not only to their business but to the wider economy.”

Aptus’ headline numbers

At the time of the Employer Audit:

• Aptus employed 12 apprentices (including 4 at Level 2, and 8 at Level 3). We also employed a further 13 employees in other ‘earn and learn’ roles
• 73% of apprentices completed their apprenticeships successfully and 70% went on to further employment with the company
• Since 2012 we have had more than 75 apprentices successfully complete an apprenticeship programme with Aptus
• In 2023 we added T Levels to our workplace training offer with 5 students taking up Industry Placements so far

Published on 19th November 2024