Stagecoach has announced it is more than halfway (3.3%) to reaching the goal of 5% of employees in ‘earn and learn’ apprentice positions and has subsequently been awarded silver membership with charity The 5% Club.
The charity aims to reduce poverty through increased employment and works with UK employers to grow ‘earn and learn’ placements, i.e. apprenticeships, sponsored students and graduate trainees.
790 employees are now in Stagecoach’s ‘earn and learn’ positions, out of a workforce of 24,000. The majority are apprenticeships. That places Stagecoach in the top five of the organisations in this year’s employer audit. It is believed to be the only operator awarded silver membership this year.
“We are delighted to have been awarded silver membership with the 5% club. This shows our commitment to developing our people when they join us and helps us to attract the best people from our local towns and cities,” says Head of People Services and Talent at Stagecoach Tracey Smyth. “‘Earn and Learn’ positions bring huge value to our business in terms of talent and diversity and Stagecoach has for many years been at the forefront of championing apprenticeships and graduates in our workplace.
“Not only is it important for developing a healthy talent pipeline, but we also find it’s a great way of being able to engage with our local communities and make sure that our workforce represents the people we serve.
“This year we also published our new sustainability strategy, where we set out clear actionable aims of targeting 40% of females in leadership roles by 2026 and increasing the numbers of employees from ethnic minorities to 25%.”
