The 5% Club – UK National Employer “Earn & Learn” Awards 2023

The 5% Club is today announcing the launch of the UK National Employer Earn & Learn Awards for 2023 to be presented during their Employer Audit Mansion House Celebration Event on 29 November 2023.

One hundred and eighty Employers have participated in this year’s Employer Audit Scheme and have been shortlisted for the awards, which are being made in two Categories; one for Large Employers and the other for SMEs. The awards will draw on the insights and findings from the Employer Audit research which has been conducted over the Summer, and which continues to grow from its inception in 2021. As The 5% Club celebrates its tenth anniversary, participants in this scheme continue to aspire to meet the new Platinum Standard and demonstrate that they are exceeding their aspiration to have 5% of their workforce in “earn and learn” schemes – Apprenticeships, Graduate Schemes, and eligible Sponsored Students.

There are 6 sponsored awards in both categories which cover all five areas researched through the Employer Audit. These are: 

• Earn & Learn Scheme Quality Award (Sponsored by BPP)

This award is made to the employer who, through The 5% Club Annual Employer Audit, has demonstrated the best performance in terms of quality of scheme delivery and completion rates.

• Earn & Learn Scheme Growth and Future Ambition Award (Sponsored by the St Martins Group)

This award is made to the employer who, through The 5% Club Annual Employer Audit, has demonstrated the most ambition for the future of their schemes, in terms of validated future growth and plans to broaden their schemes. 

• Earn & Learn Scheme Inclusion and Social Mobility Award (Sponsored by The School Outreach Company)

This award is made to the employer who, through The 5% Club Annual Employer Audit, has demonstrated the greatest commitment to the inclusion and social mobility of those participants in their workplace learning schemes. 

• Earn & Learn Scheme Breath and Balance Award (Sponsored by the Open University)

This award is made to the employer who, through The 5% Club Annual Employer Audit, has demonstrated the greatest breadth and balance across their workplace learning schemes in terms of the scheme offerings and employee participation. 

• Earn & Learn Scheme Highest Percentage of the Workforce Award (Sponsored by Unifrog)

This award is made to the employer who, through The 5% Club Annual Employer Audit, has demonstrated the highest percentage of their full-time equivalent workforce on recognised workplace learning schemes. 

• Earn & Learn Scheme Employer of the Year Award (Sponsored by City & Guilds)

This award is made to the employer who, through The 5% Club Annual Employer Audit, has demonstrated the best overall performance across all measures – quality, ambition, inclusion and social mobility, breadth, and the overall percentage. 

Mark Cameron OBE, Chief Executive at The 5% Club said,

“Now in its third year, the Employer Audit scheme continues to go from strength to strength, recognising the efforts of all those Employers who invest in their workforce through a broad range of workplace learning schemes. Given the challenging global and national environment, skills investment remains critical to productivity and growth, and we are keen to recognise and encourage the impressive actions of those employers who make the most effort to identify, access and develop all the talent pools across the UK. These Awards – which have been enabled by the generosity of our Patrons and Sponsors – play an important part in motivating and recognising positive employer action for sustained activity and change. This is essential to our national prosperity and the enduring resolution of the skills challenges.”  

Gill Cronin, Director of Operations at The 5% Club added:

“Having seen The Club grow to more than 920 members, I am always impressed at the commitment, drive and energy our members channel into offering “earn and learn” skills opportunities. This scheme bestows important recognition on these companies and truly recognises the breadth and depth of their contribution to the future of skills in our economy.”