Balfour Beatty has announced that one of its key supply chain partners, A-Plant, has joined The 5% Club, the industry group that was formed to create momentum behind the recruitment of apprentices and graduates into the workforce. A-Plant is Balfour Beatty’s first supply chain partner to do so.

The 5% Club’s members are all committed to ensuring that 5% of their workforces are apprentices, graduates on a formal scheme, or sponsored students, and that they are reporting publicly on progress towards the goal.

Balfour Beatty recently announced the launch of a dedicated support package for its supply chain partners, in partnership with industry training body the CITB, to support and encourage membership of The 5% Club. The package includes providing advice  on how to take up the Shared Apprenticeship scheme, administered by the CITB, (which enables employers to take on apprentices for short periods if they are unable to offer a long term placement), linking its partners to sources of funding provided by the government and dedicated support through its supply chain portal.

Through its dedicated support, Balfour Beatty is looking to encourage at least fifty of its key supply chain partners to become members of The 5% Club each year.

A-Plant is one of Balfour Beatty’s largest suppliers of construction equipment and employs 2,600 people, with around 4% of their workforce currently in an apprenticeship or a formal graduate or sponsored student scheme.

Martin Chown, Supply Chain and Procurement Director at Balfour Beatty, said:

“Some companies don’t think they have the size or scale to commit to employing apprentices but we need to use our experience to show them that there are really great opportunities here with help from the government and other bodies. Through closely working with the CITB we are aiming to encourage more businesses like A-Plant to commit to joining The 5% Club, helping them secure their own futures and that of the next generation.”

Balfour Beatty, one of the early members of The 5% Club, currently has 375 apprentices, 184 graduates and 17 students taking part in college courses, representing just over 3% of its 17,000 strong workforce.