The 5% Club works with UK employers to inspire positive action for increased and accessible workplace learning
Family-owned, North West contractor Seddon has been awarded Gold accredited membership via The 5% Club’s 2022-23 Employer Audit Scheme for the second year running, having first achieved the award for 2021-22. The award recognises the firm’s significant contribution to the continued development of all its employees through ‘earn & learn’ schemes such as apprenticeships, graduate schemes, and sponsored student course placements.
Seddon prides itself on its staff investment, strong in the belief that ‘people make places.’ It is why the contractor has joined The 5% Club, a dynamic movement of employers inspired to take positive action for increased, inclusive, and accessible workplace training for all, for an additional year. With a membership which now exceeds 750 companies, The 5% Club represents over 1.6 million employees. Seddon is one of 93,500 employers which actively participate in earn and learn initiatives. The Employer Audit is a unique scheme which validates the employers’ activities, explores their future plans and commitments, as well as examining their approaches to quality, social mobility, diversity and inclusion. From a list of 129 members, Seddon was one of the 107 Employers who met the Gold Standard.
Nicola Hodkinson, director and owner of Seddon said: “Being awarded gold standard for the second year in a row is a great achievement that echoes our social values, as we place great care into the growth and wellbeing of each and everyone of our workforce. It is the staff that makes Seddon and its diverse array of projects as successful as it is, and as an employer, we take our duty of care towards them very seriously so we can help them grow as both people and professionals. It’s important too that we continue to encourage people, of all backgrounds into the construction to greatly diversify its next generation of employees. Going forward, we will continue our work in aligning industry and education to fuel a diverse and highly skilled next generation of workers.”
Mark Cameron OBE, chief executive at The 5% Club said: “Our Employer Audit scheme recognises the efforts of all those employers who invest in their workforce through a broad range of workplace learning schemes. It is fantastic that in these challenging times so many can commit to the Employer Audit and gain credit for their efforts, and that the majority are striving to expand their schemes over the coming years. Their efforts and achievements are to be applauded.”
Gill Cronin, Director of Operations at The 5% Club added: “Having seen The Club grow to more than 750 members, I am always impressed at the commitment, drive and energy our member’s channel into offering “earn and learn” skills opportunities. To now see so many of these members gain Bronze, Silver and Gold accredited membership of The Club is inspiring and demonstrates how these companies are all contributing to the future of skills in our economy.”
The news comes after Seddon welcomes 14 new apprentices into the business, taking the total number of apprentices employed across a variety of the contractor’s divisions up to 64. Apprentice Bricklayer, Saajan Singh has hailed Seddon's apprenticeship as a "fast track to get you moving forward in life.