WhiteHat, a tech start-up building an outstanding alternative to university through apprenticeships, and The 5% Club, an industry-led initiative focussed on driving momentum into the recruitment of apprentices, graduates and sponsored students, have partnered to drive the recruitment of apprentices across the UK.
[London, 5 April 2019] The 5% Club, founded by Leo Quinn Group CEO of Balfour Beatty in 2013, is a movement of more than 360 employers providing ‘earn and learn’ opportunities to develop the skills and talents people need to become more employable and create meaningful careers.
WhiteHat, founded by Euan Blair and Sophie Adelman in 2016, is a tech start-up on a mission to create a diverse group of future leaders by building an outstanding alternative to university through apprenticeships. WhiteHat focuses primarily on three areas; giving employers a way of measuring potential that’s not just based on work experience and academics; getting some of the best content from around the world and plugging it into apprenticeships; and the third is giving apprentices an on-and-offline community where they can have meetups, networking events, access to mentors, societies and socials.
Together, WhiteHat and The 5% Club aim to grow awareness of apprenticeships, encourage more employers to take on apprentices, and get more young people across the country into apprenticeships to help build the next generation of the workforce.
Lady Cobham, Director General of The 5% Club said, “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. By working with WhiteHat, together we can change the perceptions of young people and employers so that apprenticeships are held in the esteem they should command; and make sure the opportunities are there.”
Euan Blair, Co-founder and CEO of WhiteHat commented, “Partnering with The 5% Club, and collaborating with an audience who understand the importance of having a radical alternative to university, is a fantastic opportunity to close the UK skills gap and ensure that we have a diverse group of people who will benefit from the opportunities the future of work is providing.”
To launch the partnership, WhiteHat and The 5% Club are co-hosting a myth busting breakfast on the 2nd May. At the event, they’ll debunk some of the most common myths surrounding apprenticeships and offer practical advice on how to make the apprenticeship system work for your business.
Sign up for the event here.