The 5% Club

📊 AELP's Autumn Budget Proposal: Boosting Apprenticeships to 500k+ Annually 🚀 The Association of Education and Learning Providers (AELP) has unveiled its vision for tackling Britain's skills shortages in its Autumn Budget consultation submission. Key recommendations include: 🔹 Maintaining employer-led, all-age, all-level apprenticeships 🔹 Introducing foundation and mid-career apprenticeships 🔹 Increasing apprenticeship budgets and funding flexibility 🔹 Ringfencing funds for non-levy paying employers 🔹 Annual inflation-linked increases to Apprenticeship funding bands 💼 The proposal aims to support SMEs, young people, and adult upskilling through innovative "triple helix" programs combining paid work, structured supervision, and off-the-job learning. 💡 AELP CEO Ben Rowland emphasizes: "Skills policy cuts across all of the government's core missions. By wisely investing in skills, we would set the country on a path to over 500,000 high-quality apprenticeships per year – quickly filling skills shortages in the economy's key sectors." 🎯 The recommendations and sought outcome aligns with The 5% Club's mission to drive "earn and learn" skills training opportunities, showcasing how targeted investment can significantly boost apprenticeship numbers and address critical skills gaps. #SkillsDevelopment #Apprenticeships #EconomicGrowth #AELP #AutumnBudget

📢 CALLING our employer network - Scottish Apprenticeship Awards 📢 NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN! The Scottish Apprenticeship Awards are the national flagship event, highlighting the vital benefits apprenticeships bring to individuals, employers and the economy. If you're an employer who supports apprenticeships, this is THE ideal opportunity to nominate individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their roles. You can find out more about the categories and how to submit nominations here > https://lnkd.in/dkCREJ8U Skills Development Scotland is hosting a 'Top Tips' webinar on Friday 20 September, to provide valuable information and advice on putting together your compelling award entries. You can sign up for the session here > https://lnkd.in/eMC_FwCt NOTE: the deadline for nominations is noon on Friday 4 October. All winners will be revealed during Scottish Apprenticeship Week, which takes place from 3 - 7 March 2025. #apprenticeships #ScotAppAwards #ScotAppWeek #heriotwattuni Scottish Engineering Scottish Financial Enterprise ICE Scotland CITB RICS The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) The 5% Club Technical Apprenticeship Consortium (TAC) Data Education In Colleges The Data Lab - Innovation Centre The Data Lab Community National Manufacturing Institute Scotland The Smart Manufacturing Community Digital Skills Scotland Data Skills for Work Scottish Apprenticeships Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce West Lothian Chamber of Commerce Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce Fife Chamber of Commerce ECITB

🚨 Employers Face 'Soft Skills Crisis' in UK Workforce 🚨 New research from Inspiring Learning (reported in Personnel Today - https://lnkd.in/eB-Jzp6U) reveals a critical gap in essential soft skills among young employees entering the UK job market. 📊 Key findings: 37% of Gen Z employees lack communication skills 28% lack resilience 27% are deficient in problem-solving 💼 Employer priorities: Teamwork (55%) and communication (52%) valued nearly twice as much as computer skills (26%) 🎓 Education gap: 43% feel they weren't taught soft skills during childhood 27% of UK workers receive no workplace support in developing soft skills 📞 Impact on work: 24% of 16-24 year-olds avoid making phone calls 21% of 25-34 year-olds hesitant to use phones at work 🌟 So What? For employers onboarding young talent: 🔹 Prioritize soft skills development in your onboarding and training programs 🔹 Invest in team-building and external training activities 🔹 Create opportunities for young employees to practice communication and problem-solving 🔹 Consider partnering with outdoor education providers to boost soft skills through nature-based learning 🔹 Integrate soft skills development into apprenticeship and "earn and learn" schemes for long-term success 🗣️ "Soft skills aren't just a nice-to-have, but essential skills that power the long-term success of our apprenticeship programme and our business as a whole." - Andrew Perry, L&D Manager at Great Western Railway (GWR). #SoftSkills #EarnandLearn #WorkforceReady #YouthEmployment #ApprenticeshipSuccess

📊 State of the Nation 2024: Social Mobility in the UK📊 The Social Mobility Commission has released its annual report, "State of the Nation 2024: Local to National, Mapping Opportunities for All", - https://lnkd.in/e3wJ2XHY. Here are the key takeaways: 🏫 Education ▪ 📉 Attainment gap between Free-School-Meals (FSM) and non-FSM pupils remains largely unchanged ▪ 👩🎓 Girls outperform boys among disadvantaged children ▪ 🌟 FSM-eligible children from Chinese backgrounds excel, outperforming national averages ▪ 🏙️ London continues to lead in educational attainment for FSM-eligible pupils 💼 Employment & Economy ▪ 📈 Youth unemployment at its lowest since 2014 (11% in 2022) ▪ 🎓 Socio-economic gap in university enrolment narrowing ▪ 💰 Earnings gap closing for young people with low qualifications 🌍 Regional Disparities ▪ 🗺️ New composite indices developed for 203 UK regions ▪ 🏆 London and Home Counties lead in favorable mobility outcomes ▪ 🏙️ Affluent areas, including parts of the North and Scotland, show best childhood conditions ▪ 🏭 North East and North West face challenges in youth labour market opportunities 💡 Innovation & Growth ▪ 🚀 South of England clusters around London show highest potential ▪ 🌐 Gigabit internet availability increased sharply across the UK since 2020 This report highlights progress and persistent challenges in UK social mobility. How can businesses contribute to creating more equitable opportunities? #SocialMobility #UKEconomy #Education #Employment #Innovation

📊UK Apprenticeships-New Research: Key Findings from The St Martin's Group📊 Our Executive Senior Leadership Team (Mark Cameron OBE, Gill Cronin, and Martin Birchall, Employer Audit Research Director) were delighted to be at today's (11 September 2024) launch in Central Hall, Westminster of the latest research report from our partner and Patron Sponsor, The St Martin's Group. The report, "Overcoming barriers to opportunity: stimulating growth and unlocking supply in UK Apprenticeships" is here - https://lnkd.in/e3KU_Ghf and can be summarised as follows: 🔍 The UK faces a significant skills shortage, with high demand for apprenticeships but insufficient supply. 🤝 Collaboration between businesses and government is crucial to remove barriers to apprenticeship uptake. 🚀 Apprenticeships can drive social mobility with proper support, especially benefiting those from economically deprived areas. 💼 SMEs are key to boosting apprenticeship opportunities, but face unique challenges. 💡 Recommendations include: 🔹 Introducing flexibility in current system rules. 🔹 Protecting the Apprenticeship Budget. 🔹 Providing more generous funding for SMEs. 🔹 Reviewing financial measures, including impact on welfare benefits. 🔹 Transforming ineffective parts of the system while maintaining what works. 🔹 Establishing Skills England to represent both demand creators and solution providers in policy development. 🔹 A unified approach across government, regions, and nations is needed to unlock the full potential of apprenticeships in addressing the UK's skills gap. Thanks to all involved in making the launch so memorable and covening so many sector titans, but especially our hosts, Emily Rock (Austin), Brenda McLeish OBE DL, and Jane Hadfield. A great keynote address by Jamie Cater (Make UK), research insights from Philippa Alway (UCAS), and an insightful employer panel chaired by Mark Botha, with Jenny Taylor MBE, Ruth South and Jill Coyle (including constructive challenge from Rt Hon Robert Halfon ...). #Apprenticeships #SkillsDevelopment #UKJobs #WorkforceDevelopment

📊 UK Labour Market Update: Signs of Recovery & Youth Employment Challenges📊 As reported in People Management magazine (https://lnkd.in/ebCai-nE), the latest Office for National Statistics data shows promising signs for the UK job market: 🔹 Unemployment rate down to 4.1% (May-July 2024) 🔹 Employment rate up to 74.8% for ages 16-64 🔹 Annual growth in regular pay at 5.1% However, youth unemployment remains a concern: 🚨 13.3% unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds 🚨 Over 500,000 young people out of work Expert Insights: 💼 Novo Constare (Indeed Flex): "Modest recovery" in job market, but October budget adds uncertainty. 👥 James Cockett (CIPD): Calls for apprenticeship guarantee for 16-24 year olds to address youth unemployment. 🎓 Dr Jacqueline Hall (BAE Systems): Highlights need for greater awareness of alternative career paths among youth. 🔍 Natasha Kearslake (Organic P&O Solutions Ltd): Advises focus on retention, skills development, and competitive packages. 🌟 Jonathan Firth (LHH): Expects vacancies to increase in coming months; emphasizes need for compelling job packages. Key takeaways for employers: 1️⃣ Focus on retention and skills development 2️⃣ Offer competitive packages as real wages grow 3️⃣ Implement nuanced workforce planning Addressing youth employment: 🎓 Expand apprenticeship programs 🔍 Increase awareness of alternative career paths 🤝 Support initiatives like the Youth Guarantee As the job market stabilizes, it's crucial to invest in our youth workforce. Let's champion earn & learn schemes and create more opportunities for young talent! What strategies is your organization implementing to support youth employment? #UKJobMarket #YouthEmployment #Apprenticeships #WorkforceDevelopment

📊 New research from National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) reveals a significant shift in the UK job market: Over 1 million jobs at risk in 'high-risk' occupations by 2035 due to automation and technology 🤖 As covered in this FE Week article from Michael Scott (https://lnkd.in/eSjhJVvw), the key points are: 📉12 million workers potentially affected, primarily in lower-paid, less qualified roles 📈Growing opportunities in care work, customer service, and professional/managerial roles 🔍 Key considerations for workforce planning: 🔸 Skills gap: Many at-risk workers lack qualifications for higher-growth sectors 🔸 Untapped potential: Some lower-skilled workers have underutilized high-level skills 🔸 Career transition support: Essential for economic growth and worker retention 💡 Implications for "earn & learn" schemes: 🎓Increased focus on adult and further education crucial for career transitions 🔄Need for programs recognizing and developing transferable skills 💻📚Emphasis on upskilling for growing sectors like IT and teaching 🤝 Call to action: Government, employers, and education providers must collaborate to: 🔹 Reverse the decline in state and employer-funded training 🔹 Help workers identify, articulate, and demonstrate their skills 🔹 Create pathways for career changers into growing occupations 🔮 In summary, the future of work demands adaptability. Employers should prepare now to meet the career-change challenge? #WorkforcePlanning #FutureOfWork #SkillsDevelopment #CareerTransition

It was fantastic to represent The 5% Club at today's (10 September 2024) celebration of top apprenticeship employers at the Terrace Pavillion in the House of Commons, hosted by my friend and colleague, Martin Birchall and Chanise Evans. The 5% Club is a strong advocate of these schemes and it was inspiring to hear from Kate Ridley-Moy (Director of Apprenticeships and Skills Boot Camps), and also from Rt Hon Baroness Jacqui Smith MP (by video) both from the Department for Education. And so great to see so many of our members there, alongside the sponsor support from Investors in People and our partners BPP and The Careers & Enterprise Company. For those that missed earlier posts and the listing, the full 5% Club roll of honour is here: Top 100 Employers (full listing here - https://lnkd.in/gHCbiv74) 1. British Army (part of Ministry of Defence - MOD) (Platinum Member) 2. BT Group (former Gold Member) 3. Royal Navy (part of MOD) (Platinum Member) 4. Royal Air Force (RAF) (part of MOD) (Platinum Member) 9. Tops Day Nurseries 10. PwC (Platinum Member) 25. Bupa 29. Network Rail (Silver Member) 33. Ministry of Defence (Platinum Member) 34. GXO Logistics, Inc. 38. Travis Perkins plc 40. Babcock International Group 52. Mitie 53. Pendennis Shipyard 58. Southeastern Railway (Gold Member) 59. Sellafield Ltd 61. Bright Horizons 67. Kier Group (Gold Member) 70. Department for Education (Gold Member) 71. Kids Inc Nurseries (Former Gold Member) 77. McGinley Support Services (Infrastructure) Ltd 79. CROSS COUNTRY TRAINS LIMITED (Gold Member) 80. Bell (Platinum Member) 81. Clarkson Evans Ltd 82. RS Group plc (Gold Member) 86. Gemini Accident Repair Centres Ltd (Platinum Member) 99. Pennon Group Plc (Gold Member) 100. Stagecoach Group Limited (Gold Member) Top 50 SME Employers (full listing here - https://lnkd.in/g7w-7M5E) 10. Darke & Taylor Ltd 27. Lyons & Annoot Ltd 29. Intelect 32. Troup Bywaters + Anders 33. Hungry Caterpillar Day Nurseries Limited(Gold Member) Another great day out celebrating excellence in the "earn and learn" arena! #TopAppsEmployers #celebratingexcellence #inspiredaction #skillsforlife #apprenticeships #earnandlearn

📊 Can Skills England Fix Our Broken Skills System?📊 The new Labour government's ambitious plan to overhaul the UK's skills landscape is generating buzz and skepticism in equal measure, as covered in this insightful FE Week article - https://lnkd.in/eUrASvUg 🔑 Key Points: 🔸 Skills England aims to unite employers, unions, providers, universities, and local government. 🔸 It will oversee a broader remit than its predecessor, the IfATE (Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education). 🔸 The body will align skills needs with the government's industrial strategy. 💬 Expert Quotes: "Skills England will have to demonstrate that it isn't just another part of the furniture getting in the way of a sector that already feels quite overburdened." - Tom Bewick, Skills Policy Researcher "There's real discussion needed about how long its arms are. I hope the vision is for something that works across government, really brings people together, and has the authority to decide which horses we're backing in the economy." - Anonymous Department for Education Source "Where are they going to bring in new people with new ideas and new ways of working if they're just transferring in existing staff?" - Susan Pember, HOLEX "I am nervous that the requirement for better coordination across the system has been met by the creation of not one, but three new potentially competing coordinating bodies." - Ben Rowland, AELP "It will require a senior leadership team with a combination of education, public service and some industry skills." - Tom Bewick "If you're endlessly closing down and setting up institutions, things won't ever really change." - Lesley Giles, former UK Commission for Employment & Skills deputy director 🚩 Challenges: 🔹 Avoiding bureaucratic centralization 🔹 Maintaining longevity (past quangos averaged 7-8 years) 🔹 Securing cross-governmental influence 🔹 Balancing various stakeholder interests 💡 Opportunities: 🔹 Ending the binary divide between FE and HE 🔹 Reshaping partnerships in the sector 🔹 Prioritizing spending to fill the biggest skills gaps The success of Skills England will depend on its ability to learn from past failures, secure real influence across government, and deliver tangible results in a complex and evolving skills landscape. What are your thoughts on this new initiative? Can Skills England succeed where others have failed? 🤔 #SkillsEngland #UKSkills #earnandlearn #WorkforceDevelopment #EducationPolicy

🌟 Calling Skills Sector "Inspired Actors": The 5% Club Fellowship Is Now Open! 🌟 Are you passionate about inclusive workplace learning? The 5% Club is seeking exceptional individuals to join our prestigious Fellowship! 🎓💼 Key points: 🔸 Nominations open until 11 November 2024 🔸 Recognition for "inspired actors" in skills development 🔸 Fellows help shape The 5% Club's strategic direction 🔸 Opportunities to join Business Leadership or Expert Advisory Councils 📢 "The Fellowship is our way of recognizing those who generously contribute their time, expertise, and influence to ensure we can deliver meaningful social impact." - Mark Cameron OBE, CEO of The 5% Club We are seeking candidates who: ✅ Support for The 5% Club's strategic direction ✅ Deliver exceptional workplace learning initiatives ✅ Contribute to scheme accessibility and inclusion ✅ Share thought leadership in skills development Find out more and apply here - https://lnkd.in/e_TiTHbH Apply today and join us in championing earn-and-learn opportunities and shaping the future of workplace education! 🚀 #Fellowship #WorkplaceLearning #SkillsDevelopment #Apprenticeships #GraduateSchemes #inspiredaction #recognisingexcellence