Scottish steel and cladding specialist, KR Group has showcased its commitment to developing its people by joining The 5% Club, an industry led initiative focused on driving momentum into the recruitment of apprentices, graduates, and sponsored students.
The 5% Club, initiated by Leo Quinn, group chief executive officer of Balfour Beatty in 2013, is a movement of more than 500 employers providing ‘earn and learn’ opportunities to develop the skills and talents people need to become more employable and create meaningful careers. Companies joining The 5% Club commit to raising the number of apprentices, sponsored students and graduates on formal programmes to 5% of their total workforce within five years. Members are also asked to publicly report their progress in their Annual Report. Existing members range from SMEs to FTSEs and cover several diverse industries, from engineering through to the legal sector.
KR Group decided to sign up to The 5% Club pledge to align their existing company ethos and commitment to the Developing Young Workforce agenda. As a forward-thinking business, there has always been a high investment in youth and their continued development, starting in schools and leading on through to university placement and graduate opportunities. This solidifies the company commitment further.
Nicola Fraser, director at KR Group commented: “It has never been more important to show our young people that there is a bright future, full off possibilities. A career in construction is exciting and with the right investment and attitudes, young people can flourish. KR Group have been committed for many years, to showcasing and promoting the industry, bringing fresh new talent and ideas into the sector. The young people in our team are an absolute asset and credit to their generation. We look forward to building on our young team and their skill sets in 2022 and beyond.”
Gill Cronin, director of operations of The 5% Club said, “We’re delighted to welcome KR Group into membership. The 5% Club provides a fantastic network of HR professionals, sharing and learning from each other. All our members share an ethos of creating a skilled workforce through ‘earn and learn’ development programmes, helping people develop meaningful career paths.”
KR Group offers input to schools, colleges, job centres and universities, to educate about and promote careers in the industry. They are proud to host multiple placement opportunities for young people in secondary school, through to university graduates. Trainee and apprenticeship opportunities exist in business, office, workshop and site based roles, from Foundation Apprenticeships to Modern Apprenticeships to Graduate Apprenticeships.
To find out more information about The 5% Club and how to become a member, please visit www.5percentclub.org.uk or get in touch by emailing contactus@5percentclub.org.uk. Information about the campaign can also be found on Twitter, and LinkedIn.