KAEFER UK & Ireland Awarded Gold for the fourth year running

For the fourth year, KAEFER UK & Ireland have been awarded Gold accredited membership via The 5% Club’s 2025-26 Employer Audit Scheme. This prestigious recognition celebrates our ongoing dedication to nurturing talent through “earn and learn” opportunities – including Apprenticeships, Trainee Positions, and Graduate Programmes – which empower our people to grow, learn, and thrive.

Achieving Gold status marks another proud milestone in our Grow With Us journey – our people strategy that focuses on developing skills, careers, and potential at every level. It reflects our belief that when our people grow, our business grows too. By supporting every individual to reach their full capability, we strengthen  not only our organisation but also the communities and industries we serve.

Through hands-on learning and development, we are shaping the next generation of skilled professionals, providing meaningful career pathways and ensuring our workforce is ready for the future. From apprentices starting their first placement, to graduates and emerging leaders, Grow With Us provides the foundation for lifelong learning and career progression within KAEFER.

As a member of The 5% Club, we join a movement of more than 1,200 forward-thinking employers championing inclusive, accessible, and impactful workplace learning. Collectively, members support over 2 million employees, with more than 121,000 engaged in “earn and learn” programmes. The rigorous Employer Audit independently validates our achievements and future ambitions, recognising our commitment to social mobility, diversity, and inclusion.

Out of this distinguished group, KAEFER is honoured to be recognised as one of The 5% Club’s outstanding Gold members. This accolade reinforces our  passion for creating learning environments where every colleague can succeed, develop their skills and experience to build a successful and rewarding career with KAEFER. 

Laura Bowes, People & Development Director at KAEFER UK & Ireland said: 

“Whilst we have always had a focus in growing our workforce through apprenticeships and traineeships, in 2022 we set our ambition to ensure we maintained a minimum level of 5% of our workforce in earn and learn careers, launching 40 apprenticeship vacancies.  

We are proud that not only as of today we have over 200 individuals in earn and learn careers, but we have now doubled our commitment from three years ago, where we have offered over 80 earn and learn careers over 2025. The 5% club reinforces our commitment as a business and I am delighted we can retain our Gold status in the Employer audit.” 

Mark Cameron OBE, Chief Executive at The 5% Club, said: “We are incredibly proud of the outstanding employers, like KAEFER UK & Ireland, who continue to raise the bar for workplace learning. Their dedication to creating rich and varied ‘earn and learn’ opportunities sets a remarkable example. By achieving Gold membership, KAEFER UK & Ireland has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to investing in people – shaping the skills of tomorrow and driving lasting impact for both business and society.” 

Gill Cronin, Director of Operations at The 5% Club, added: “It is truly inspiring to see the enthusiasm and leadership our members bring to developing talent. KAEFER UK & Ireland’s Gold membership is a shining example of how purposeful investment in people can deliver opportunity, inclusion, and excellence. As 20% of our members now reach these prestigious tiers, organisations like KAEFER UK & Ireland continue to pave the way for the future workforce.”