The 5% Club’s Skills Summit 2025: Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Over 250 leaders, employers, and skills champions gathered at The British Library to shape the UK’s future skills agenda.

Over 250 leaders, employers, and skills champions gathered at The British Library on Thursday 23 October for The 5% Club’s Skills Summit 2025 – a flagship event celebrating progress, innovation, and collaboration in the UK’s skills landscape.

The afternoon opened with an inspiring address from Phil Smith CBE, Chair of Skills England, who set out Skills England’s vision for strengthening the national skills system and supporting inclusive growth. His remarks framed a day focused on partnership, innovation, and the shared responsibility of employers and educators in building the workforce of tomorrow.

One of the day’s highlights was the launch of The 5% Club’s 2025–26 Employer Audit results, presented by Martin Birchall, Managing Director of High Fliers Research Limited. The results revealed how leading employers are investing in skills, apprenticeships, and workforce development, with the findings providing exclusive insights into how leading employers are investing in ‘workforce skills, apprenticeships, ‘earn and learn’ and diversity initiatives. A lively member panel followed, featuring Helen Jeffery (Mitie), Claire McKay (Peel Ports Group), and Stephen Wilde (SBR – Southbourne Rubber), sharing practical experiences and best practice from their organisations.

Delegates were inspired by a keynote from Dr Paul Redmond, who explored how organisations can engage multi-generational workforces – from Boomers to Gen Z – and prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the AI era. His session balanced humour and insight, offering practical lessons for all sectors.

The Question Time panel, chaired by Mark Cameron OBE, CEO of The 5% Club, brought together Professor Kenye Karemo (Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust), Faheem Khan (Future Leaders UK), Dr Paul Redmond, and Phil Smith CBE, with insightful questions from attendees. The discussion tackled real-world questions from employers, exploring how collaboration can unlock skills potential across the UK.

The day culminated with the highly anticipated reveal of The 5% Club’s 2025–26 accredited members, recognising organisations at Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels for their outstanding commitment to earn-and-learn pathways.

Headline sponsor The School Outreach Company and Patron Sponsors Birmingham City University, City & Guilds, The Open University, The St Martin’s Group, UCAS, and Unifrog were praised for their continued partnership and leadership in supporting early careers and employer engagement.

Mark Cameron OBE summed up the day:

“The Skills Summit reflects what The 5% Club is all about – collaboration, commitment, and a shared belief that developing skills and opportunities is essential for a fair and competitive UK.”