Forterra Commits To ‘Earn and Learn’ By Joining The 5% Club

Leading building products manufacturer Forterra 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 Group CEO 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 a number of diverse industries, from engineering through to the legal sector.

Forterra is committed to doing the best for its employees and wider communities. Joining The 5% Club was felt to be a natural next step in cementing the company’s assurance to provide significant career opportunities.

The company already offers a range of schemes for graduates and apprentices and is active in its support for local construction colleges. Forterra is also an accredited Living Wage employer, aiming to reward a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay and ensuring a decent standard of living for its employees and their families

Stephen Harrison, Chief Executive of Forterra, commented: “Joining The 5% Club is an important step for Forterra. It underlines our commitment to providing career opportunities that will ensure the future prosperity of our business, the wider industry and of the communities in which we operate.”

Gill Cronin, Director of Operations of The 5% Club said, “We’re delighted to welcome Forterra 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.”

Details of Forterra’s graduate schemes, internships and apprenticeships can be found on the company website [link to new URL]