About
The 5% Club is a dynamic movement of employers committed to earn & learn as part of building and developing the workforce they need as part of a socially mobile, prosperous and cohesive nation. The Club exists to help its members and all employers increase further the number, quality and range of earn & learn opportunities across the UK.
By joining The 5% Club, members aspire to achieve 5% of their workforce in earn and learn positions (including apprentices, sponsored students and graduates on formalised training schemes) within five years of joining.
We now represent:
More than 1,300 organisations across the UK – all committed to providing ‘earn and learn’ opportunities for their workforce.
Our members collectively employ:
- More than 2 million employees
- 94,000 apprentices
- 23,000 people on graduate programmes
- 12,500 sponsored students
This means more than 129,500 people in the workplace have been given skills based training opportunities by our members – averaging more than 6.5% across our movement.
2025-26 Impact Report
The 5% Club has published its 2025–26 Impact Report, showcasing a year of
purposeful growth, increased national influence, and continued leadership in
inclusive workplace learning.
Key highlights from the report include:
- Membership growth to 1,263 employer organisations, with more than two million employees represented across the network.
- 252 employers participated in the 2025 Employer Audit, with 78 Platinum, 137 Gold, 30 Silver and 7 Bronze accredited members recognised for excellence in workplace learning.
- Launch of the Skills Summit at the British Library, attracting more than 230 attendees and achieving a 9.3/10 satisfaction score.
- Expansion of policy engagement through direct dialogue with Skills England, DWP and senior policymakers via the Business Leadership Council chaired by Rt Hon Anne Milton.
- Introduction of the Skills Gauge employer pulse survey, providing real-time employer insight into workforce growth, skills reform and labour market confidence.
- Continued development of Special Interest Groups, including the Armed Forces SIG and emerging sector-led collaboration around defence and infrastructure skills challenges.
- Launch of the “Take Five” podcast series, sharing employer insight and practical examples of how apprenticeships and workplace learning support workforce growth, inclusion and productivity.
Read the full Impact Report here
A summary version is available here