Lancashire, UK – 2024
Evolve has officially declared its affiliation with The 5% Club. This initiative, comprising companies promoting enhanced skills training via “earn and learn” job opportunities, is announced to coincide with the commencement of National Apprenticeship Week.
The primary goal of The 5% Club is to aid its members and all employers in increasing the number, quality, and diversity of apprenticeships available in the United Kingdom.
This announcement aligns with National Apprenticeship Week, a nationwide event that brings together employers and apprentices to emphasise the advantages apprenticeships offer to individuals, businesses, and the broader economy.
Alan Stephenson-Brown, CEO at Evolve, said: “At Evolve we’re known for a company culture that values employees and believes they are the key to our success. We very much see our apprentices as a part of the team and value their input. As such, we’re delighted to have signed the 5% Club pledge, which will help us play our part in addressing youth unemployment and skills shortage.
“It’s always been important to us to support internal progression, and one of the biggest benefits at Evolve is the ability to earn qualifications on the job, it led to 21% of our employees receiving an internal promotion in the last year. It’s great to be recognised for the work we do in this space by a network of like-minded businesses, and we believe that by joining The 5% Club we will play a role in Britain’s long-term prosperity.”
Evolve currently have 8 apprentices within the business, which is 7%. Through collaboration with The 5% club, the objective is to consistently meet the 5% target.
Numerous former and current Evolve apprentices, such as Harry, a Level 3 IT Support Technician Apprentice, are experiencing the positive impact of these initiatives.
Harry: “I always had a knack for IT, even in high school, so it’s always something I considered. Of course, there’s always a bit of fear when you’re an apprentice because it’s new ground, but at Evolve there’s a really open, friendly culture. If you’re ever stuck with anything you can go to anyone for help. “I’ve been genuinely impressed at just how many apprentices have been hired and how well they know the process. Once I finish my apprenticeship, I know there are opportunities to progress in difference parts of the business, so I’m excited to see where this will take me.”
Laura, Harry’s supervisor, is a former apprentice at Evolve. She joined Evolve’s apprenticeship program at the age of 19, three years ago. Currently, she holds the position of Service Desk Manager, overseeing a team of 21.
Laura commented: “Working in IT honestly never occurred to me, so taking the apprenticeship at Evolve was a huge leap, but I’ve never looked back. Working at Evolve has given me more than just a job, I have a career. I have qualifications I can take with me wherever I go, but I can’t see myself going anywhere else. The best part about working here is that, thanks to the support I get from my colleagues and management, I know this is a place I can continue to progress. I can really see a future here.”
If you are interested in starting your career with Evolve, visit our careers page today or email claire.brown@evolvebg.co.uk to discuss your future with us.
End
About Evolve Business Group and Evolve
Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve is helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best.
Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of clients across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected.