VIVO achieves Gold rating at The 5% Club

VIVO Defence Services has gained a gold rating at The 5% Club due to the number of its employees taking apprenticeships  – just 10 months after joining.

Employers who join the club commit to empowering their employees through ‘earn & learn’ initiatives such as apprenticeships, graduate schemes, and sponsored student placements.

Now, after a wide-ranging audit, VIVO has been awarded gold status after demonstrating that at least 5% of its workforce are on such schemes.

VIVO, which started trading in 2022, works for the UK military and its partners and currently has 88 employees on apprenticeship programmes.

It has spent £305,814 of its apprenticeship levy to date and seen a year-on-year increase in expenditure on apprenticeship training. In fact, between 2022 and 2024 the annual figure has increased twelve-fold.

In the past year, a further 10 apprentices have completed an apprenticeship with VIVO – which has a total workforce of around 1,600.

VIVO’s apprentices work in a wide range of roles including as installation electricians, plumbing and heating technicians, project managers, quantity surveyors, and in operational management posts.

Achieving gold status showcases VIVO’s dedication to nurturing the growth and development of its workforce. It also allows the organisation to stand alongside over 1,100 forward-thinking employers who are dedicated to driving positive change.

The 5% Club represents a powerful movement of companies working together to make workplace training more inclusive, diverse, and accessible. Collectively, members support 1.9 million employees, with over 108,000 people participating in “earn and learn” schemes.

The Employer Audit VIVO undertook earlier this year rigorously assessed its efforts, future ambitions, and commitment to social mobility, diversity, and inclusion.

Cheryl Grant, HR Director at VIVO Defence Services, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded gold accredited membership of The 5% Club this year and would like to thank our employees currently completing apprenticeship programmes, and those who have recently completed, for the commitment they have shown.”

Mark Cameron OBE, Chief Executive at The 5% Club, added: “We are incredibly proud of the outstanding employers, like VIVO Defence Services, 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 gold membership, VIVO has shown an exceptional commitment to shaping the skills of tomorrow, contributing not only to their business but to the wider economy.”

VIVO Defence Services provides facilities management on the UK military’s Built Estate in the central and southeast regions on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, which is part of the MoD.

It also oversees maintenance on Service Family Accommodation homes (SFA), in central and southwest England and provides services for the United States Visiting Forces (USVF), DSTL and the Volunteer Estate.