The honour comes on top of two previous Gold Awards and recognises the company’s significant contribution to the continued development of all their employees through “earn and learn” schemes such as apprenticeships, graduate schemes and sponsored students’ course placements.

From an impressive membership list of 1100 companies across the UK, Pacific were just one of the five employers in Scotland who met the Platinum criteria in the Club’s 2024-25 Employer Audit. The Employer Audit is a unique scheme which validates the employers’ activities, explores their future plans and commitments, as well as rigorously examining their approaches to quality, social mobility, diversity and inclusion.

The 5% Club is a dynamic movement of employers who are inspired to take positive action for increased, inclusive and accessible workplace training for all and who commit to having five per cent of their workforce in “earn and learn” positions. It represents more than 1.9 million workers, 108,000 of whom are in “earn and learn” schemes. 

Speaking at Pacific’s headquarters in Hillington, near Glasgow, managing director, Gerard McMahon, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised yet again for our commitment to training and development of young people – this time with the ultimate prize, a Platinum Award.

“As an employee-owned business, it is critical to continually develop our own talent to meet the growing demands of the construction industry.”

Mark Cameron OBE, chief executive at The 5% Club, said: “We are incredibly proud of the outstanding employers, like Pacific Building who have gone above and beyond to invest in the future of their workforce through a diverse range of ‘earn and learn’ initiatives. 

“Their dedication, especially during these challenging times, deserves to be celebrated. By achieving Platinum membership, Pacific Building have shown an exceptional commitment to shaping the skills of tomorrow, contributing not only to their business but to the wider economy.”

Gill Cronin, director of operations at The 5% Club, added: “It is inspiring to witness the dedication and passion our members bring to providing meaningful career development opportunities. 

“Pacific Building’s Platinum membership highlights their leadership in creating impactful learning environments that prioritise inclusion and diversity. As we see 20% of our members reaching these prestigious tiers of Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum, it’s a true reflection of how companies like Pacific Building are laying the groundwork for the future talent pipeline.”

In November 2022, Pacific secured their first Gold accreditation when they were one of just six organisations in Scotland – and one of 107 in the UK – to be honoured. This was followed by a second Gold in 2023.

Launched in 2013, the goal of The 5% Club is to increase the employment and career prospects of today’s youth and equip the UK with the skilled workforce it needs to safeguard Britain’s economy.

Members sign a charter and formally commit to helping the UK’s growth agenda and acknowledge the importance of developing people as a business and social imperative by:

• Playing their part in addressing youth unemployment and skills shortage
• Pledging to work towards having a minimum 5% of their UK workforce enrolled on formalised apprentice, sponsored student and/or graduate development schemes within five years
• Measuring and reporting on their progress annually against the above metric in their Corporate Social Responsibility section of the Annual Report and Accounts or equivalent document
• Encouraging other employers to participate in the campaign