Cervus Commits to Developing the Next Generation of Defence Technology Talent

Press Release – The 5% Club, new member

Cervus, a UK-based, veteran-owned SME specialising in data analytics, defence training, experimentation and decision-support capabilities, has showcased its commitment to developing its people by joining The 5% Club, an industry led initiative focussed on driving momentum into the recruitment of apprentices, graduates, T-Level students and sponsored students.

The 5% Club is a movement of more than 1,000 employers providing ‘earn and learn’ opportunities to develop the skills and talents people need to become more employable and create meaningful careers. Companies joining The 5% Club commit to raising the number of apprentices, sponsored students and graduates on formal programmes to 5% of their total workforce within five years. Members are also asked to publicly report their progress in their Annual Report. Existing members range from SMEs to FTSEs and cover all sectors including engineering, transport, and financial services.

Member companies now also have the opportunity to achieve accredited Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze membership status through the annual Employer Audit.

The Club was founded in 2013, and uses its platform, and record of success to engage with policymakers and influencers on issues of concern and relevance, specifically increasing awareness and activity that links skills investment with discernible social impact.

Cervus has joined The 5% Club to support its long-term investment in people, skills and future capability. As a growing defence and security SME, Cervus recognises that sustainable growth depends on creating structured early-career pathways and developing talent across data, analytics, software engineering, product development, defence expertise and business support. Membership reinforces the company’s commitment to building a diverse, skilled and resilient workforce while helping more people access meaningful careers in the defence technology sector.

Cervus is already developing early-career opportunities through work experience, graduate and placement routes, and is actively exploring apprenticeships, year-in-industry placements and stronger links with universities, schools and careers events. The company is also building a more inclusive recruitment approach, including targeted outreach, staff-led storytelling and visible support for women and diverse talent in STEM and defence. Joining The 5% Club reflects our belief that investing in people is central to Cervus’ future. We are proud to be creating clearer routes into defence technology for early-career talent while continuing to develop the skills, confidence and capability of our existing team. As a veteran-owned SME, we know the value of practical experience, structured development and opportunity, and we are committed to helping more people build meaningful careers in this sector.

Mark Cameron, CEO, The 5% Club said, “We’re delighted to welcome Cervus Defence & Security Ltd into membership. The 5% Club provides a fantastic network of HR and L&D professionals, sharing and learning from each other. All our members share an ethos of creating a skilled workforce through ‘earn and learn’ development programmes, helping people develop meaningful career paths.”

Cervus plans to continue expanding its early-career activity as part of its wider talent and organisational capability strategy 2027. This includes developing clearer entry-level routes into the business, strengthening partnerships with education providers, attending work and careers fairs, and creating structured support for apprentices, graduates, year-in-industry students and work experience placements. These plans sit alongside the company’s broader commitment to inclusive recruitment, professional development, wellbeing and building a workplace where people from different backgrounds can contribute to the future of data-driven defence capability.

-ENDS

To find out more information about The 5% Club and how to become a member, please visit www.5percentclub.org.uk or get in touch by emailing contactus@5percentclub.org.uk. Information about the campaign can be found on LinkedIn.

Notes to Editors

The 5% Club works with UK employers and key influencers to inspire, educate, and retain a growing body of people into “earn and learn” placements in order to increase the number of apprentices, sponsored students and graduates. 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. The 5% Club was launched in 2013.

Members sign The 5% Club charter. As a member of The 5% Club, employers state they are: Committed to helping the UK’s growth agenda and acknowledge the importance of developing people as both a business and social imperative; 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; Committed to encouraging other employers to participate in the campaign.

Membership of The 5% Club numbers more than 950 businesses from across a broad range of sectors, size of company, including large corporations as well as SMEs and across the length and breadth of The United Kingdom.