A record 252 members of The 5% Club have been awarded accredited status through the Club’s Employer Audit Programme, announced at the organisation’s flagship Skills Summit on 23 October.
This accreditation is a clear demonstration of each employer’s commitment to providing high-quality ‘earn and learn’ opportunities — supporting both new talent entering the workforce and existing colleagues seeking to upskill or reskill.
This year’s results highlight the exceptional achievements of The 5% Club’s members:
- 78 Platinum Members – organisations that have achieved Gold Membership for three consecutive years and, in the third year, have over 10% of their workforce in ‘earn and learn’ roles. Of these, 28 achieved Platinum status for the first time.
- 137 Gold Members – organisations with over 5% of their workforce in ‘earn and learn’ positions.
The Employer Audit continues to act as a vital barometer for the state of ‘earn and learn’ opportunities across the UK. Key trends emerging from this year’s analysis include:
- ‘Earn and learn’ roles now make up an average of 8.7% of participating employers’ workforces — the highest proportion ever recorded by The 5% Club.
- Participating organisations span more than 20 sectors, including construction, manufacturing, professional services, healthcare, transport, power and energy, and the public sector.
- Apprenticeships account for over three-quarters of all ‘earn and learn’ positions, with a significant increase in higher and degree apprenticeships.
- The number of graduates employed by members has continued to decline for a third consecutive year, with the median number at large employers dropping from 31 graduates in 2024 to 23 in 2025.
- Employers continue to report strong completion rates, with almost half of large employers seeing 90% or more apprentices complete their programmes, and a third achieving 100% completion rates for graduate trainees.
- Looking ahead, large employers expect to increase recruitment of apprentices and graduates by 7% in 2025–2026, while SMEs anticipate a 6% reduction in hiring activity.
These results underline the leadership and excellence of The 5% Club’s members, whose dedication to high-quality training and development continues to set the benchmark across multiple industries.
Mark Cameron OBE, CEO of The 5% Club, said:
“It is inspiring to see so many of our members achieving accredited status this year — a record that reflects both their deep-rooted commitment to skills development and their belief in the power of ‘earn and learn’ pathways. As employers face an ever-changing labour market, these organisations are leading the way in creating sustainable opportunities for growth, inclusion, and innovation. The 5% Club is proud to celebrate their success and the positive impact they continue to make across the UK economy.”
A full list of The 5% Club Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze members is available here
