City & Guilds of London Institute (CGLI) today announces its ambition to become an innovative social investor and change maker through the proposed sale of its commercial awarding organisation and skills training activities to PeopleCert, a global leader in certification of professional and language skills.
CGLI will continue to operate under its now familiar brand The City & Guilds Foundation with the ambition to play a significant part in addressing societal and skills needs of the 21st century. The charity will retain its authority to grant CGLI Fellowships to individuals who achieve educational and vocational distinction and will continue to operate its national employer recognition awards scheme, the prestigious Princess Royal Training Awards.
In turn, the transaction will unlock new and exciting opportunities for the awarding organisation and skills training businesses enabling them to continue to grow and scale up. Trading under the world-renowned City & Guilds brand and backed by significant investment and infrastructure, they will continue to uphold and promote the long-standing reputation of City & Guilds throughout the UK and internationally.
Dame Ann Limb, Chair of CGLI, said:
“Almost 150 years ago, the City & Guilds of London Institute broke the mould by creating an organisation, together with City of London livery companies, that served the skills and employment needs of the Second Industrial Revolution.
In the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, this landmark transaction marks the start of another bold new era, securing, in a single move, CGLI’s s long term financial future at the same time as enabling significant investment in the commercial awarding and skills businesses.
In PeopleCert, the Trustees have secured an organisation with a similar educational vision and values, current regulatory experience and approval in assessment and certification, underpinned by a strong track record of successful delivery in people and technology.
As Trustees take steps over the next few weeks to conclude the sale, I should like to thank the Board for its strong governance, unwavering hard work, and steadfast upholding of the charitable purposes and achievements of CGLI and all its employees throughout the last thirty months of careful negotiation.
My deep gratitude goes to CGLI’s greatest asset – our employees. Their continued passion and commitment will ensure City & Guilds awards, skills training and The City & Guilds Foundation, will not only endure but continue to flourish by forging innovative philanthropic ways of working together to fund a prosperous future for skills and to create greater societal impact and long-term systems change.”
Byron Nicolaides, CEO and Founder of PeopleCert, said:
“We’re delighted to welcome City & Guilds as we begin an exciting new chapter of growth and unlock even more potential together.
By investing in City & Guilds’ products, platforms and people, we’ll deliver even greater impact. We’re especially pleased to join forces with their talented employees and senior leadership team as we shape the future together.
Our thanks go to Dame Ann and the Board of Trustees for their outstanding governance. We look forward to developing a strong and trail blazing relationship with The City & Guilds Foundation as, together, we continue to promote the transformative power of skills.”
Kirstie Donnelly MBE, CEO of City & Guilds, said:
“This is a defining moment in the history of the CGLI, enshrining a legacy for the charity with the funding needed to reach more people than ever before.
For the commercial businesses, it brings the freedom to compete, the investment to innovate, and the market access to scale in the UK and internationally – alongside a parent organisation that shares the City & Guilds values and ambition.
I am incredibly honoured to be leading the next phase of commercial growth personally as City & Guilds aims to triple its reach to meet the global demand for skills.”
As part of the proposed acquisition, all of City & Guilds awarding, assessment and training businesses will transfer to PeopleCert, including City & Guilds Training, Gen2, Intertrain, ILM and The Oxford Group brands.
Notes to editors:
The City & Guilds of London Institute trading as City & Guilds is a trusted global skills partner, delivering a wide range of vocational and technical qualifications, and recognised worldwide as the benchmark of quality in training and assessment. Since 1878, CGLI has created life-changing opportunities for people to progress, supported businesses to grow and driven wider social and economic impact – contributing over £15bn to UK society in 2024-5 alone. Working with 1,500+ employers, the organisation delivers skills training and credentials through thousands of colleges and providers globally. City & Guilds of London Institute has worked closely with the regulators Ofqual, Qualification Wales and CCEA Regulation to ensure that the new organisation City & Guilds Limited is approved as a regulated awarding organisation.
The City & Guilds Foundation was established in 2015 within the CGLI to promote CGLI’s charitable purposes through high-impact social investment, funding employer recognition awards and advocacy programmes, and maintaining stewardship of the CGLI Fellowship programme. Over the last decade, its initiatives have included those that breakdown barriers to employment, celebrate excellence in the workplace and champion the jobs of the future.
About PeopleCert: PeopleCert is a global leader in professional and language certification, delivering exams across more than 200 countries in 25 languages to corporations, government organisations and individuals worldwide. Its portfolio includes best practice frameworks such as ITIL®️, PRINCE2®️, as well as LanguageCert qualifications, helping millions of professionals advance their careers and organisations improve performance through skills and knowledge. Headquartered in London, with offices internationally, PeopleCert has certified over seven million professionals to date and continues to invest in innovation, digital exam delivery and global partnerships
IBIS Capital, a sector specialist investment banking firm, acted as the exclusive M&A advisor to the management and Trustees of The City & Guilds of London Institute.
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