North West contractor earns platinum award for exceptional commitment to employee development

Seddon is among the first to earn Platinum Membership from The 5% Club, recognising its outstanding commitment to employee development.

• Following three years of Gold Membership, this prestigious award positions Seddon in the top 30 businesses acknowledged for their dedication to employee growth.

• Over the past 23 years, Seddon has recruited over 450 apprentices with an impressive 97% retention rate.

Seddon, the family-run construction contractor, has achieved the highest level of recognition from The 5% Club for its outstanding dedication to the professional growth and development of its employees. Over the past 23 years, Seddon have successfully recruited over 450 apprentices (level 2/3 and level 6) with an impressive 97% retention rate.

The company has been honoured with the coveted Platinum Membership award, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to fostering inclusive and accessible workplace training for all. With the construction industry skills shortage deepening, CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) estimated 224,900 additional workers must be recruited by 2027 to fulfil the sector's workforce demands. With over 350,000 construction companies in the UK, if each company could hire just one apprentice, the skills shortage would be resolved.

However, in 2022, only 13.9k new apprentices started, representing less than 4% of contractors, if we assumed each company had one apprentice. In reality, the actual percentage is even lower, considering that many advocates of apprenticeships employ multiple apprentices. Seddon understand just how crucial it is to address the barriers faced in the industry to improve these statistics. It would only take 64% of the UK’s construction companies employing one apprentice each to meet the employment figures deemed vital by CITB.

In the past 12 months, Seddon has furthered its commitment to employee development outside of its own brick and mortar. Seddon provided 110 companies with information regarding funding, training and employment creating 7 new apprentice roles within their supply chain. It further secured 17 employment opportunities for trainees as well as accessing £70K of funding from CITB for its supply chain.

Nicola Hodkinson, owner and director at Seddon, expressed her pride in achieving the Platinum award, stating, “This achievement is a testament to our ongoing commitment to our employees, and we remain resolute in upholding this level of dedication. Achieving Platinum status is a milestone achievement for the team here at Seddon, and I thank the leadership team who are equally as passionate about bringing the next generation of the workforce to the forefront.

Unfortunately, the existing frameworks related to construction education, funding, and accessibility for aspiring young individuals falls woefully short of addressing the multitude of issues faced. At Seddon, we understand the immense value of apprenticeships as a means of earning and learning, and we are committed to continuously creating inclusive opportunities for the next generation of construction professionals.”

The Platinum Membership is a newly introduced top-tier honour within The 5% Club's Employer Audit, reserved for members who have achieved Gold Membership status for three consecutive years and have 10% or more of their staff members participating in apprenticeships, graduate schemes, or sponsored student programmes in their third year. Out of the 180 businesses included in the Employer Audit, Seddon is one of the distinguished 30 businesses to have attained this prestigious award.