Take Five - The 5% Club Podcast
Take Five is The 5% Club’s podcast series designed to spark meaningful conversations about skills, apprenticeships and earn-and-learn pathways — in a format that respects one thing we all value: time.
Take Five delivers sharp, engaging discussions in just 24 minutes — 5% of your working day — making it easy to stay informed, inspired and connected to what’s really happening across the skills landscape.
The series brings together influential voices from business, policy and education to explore how we can collectively build a stronger, more inclusive skills system. Each episode focuses on practical insight, real-world experience and collaborative leadership — moving the conversation from ambition to action.
The Take Five podcast series sets the tone for the year ahead — championing partnership, spotlighting best practice and reinforcing a shared commitment to developing the talent our economy needs.
Take 5 Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms – click here to follow this Podcast
Take 5: Phil Smith CBE, Chair Skills England, Episode 3: Apprenticeship Assessment Reforms
In this episode of Take Five, Phil Smith, Chair of Skills England, joins us to discuss the recent apprenticeship assessment reforms and what they mean for employers across sectors.
Listen to this Podcast on other platforms: YouTube: Apple; Spotify
Take 5: Phil Smith CBE, Chair Skills England - Episode 2, Youth Guarantee
This discussion with Phil Smith, Chair of Skills England, explores the Government’s Youth Guarantee and the recent announcements (made in March 2026 by UK Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden) aimed at reducing youth unemployment and expanding access to apprenticeships.
Listen to this Podcast on other platforms: YouTube; Apple: SpotifyTake 5: Phil Smith CBE, Chair Skills England, Episode 1 - examining the evolving skills agenda and the critical role employers play
This discussion marks the first in an ongoing series of conversations with Phil Smith CBE over the coming months, examining the evolving skills agenda and the role employers play in shaping future opportunity.
Listen to this Podcast on other platforms: YouTube; Apple; Spotify
Take 5: MCFT - share how they’ve built a thriving apprenticeship culture and real career pathways
This episode is delivered in collaboration with the Youth Futures Foundation and forms part of a mini-series supporting the Make It An Apprenticeship Campaign.
Listen to this Podcast on other platforms: YouTube: Apple; Spotify