Membership
Awards 2025
Inspiring talent: Celebrating outstanding tutors and trainers
We know that trainers and tutors can have an immense impact on individuals and organisations. That’s why we deliver the Membership Awards: to celebrate and recognise outstanding tutors and trainers who are making a real difference.
About the
Awards
Meet the
2024 recipients
The most prestigious award for tutors and trainers
As an organisation, we have a core purpose to help more people get into a job, progress on the job and move onto the next job. The Membership Awards highlight tutors and trainers who are champions for impactful skills development.
Launched in 2024, these awards recognise outstanding tutors and trainers across the UK and Ireland who go above and beyond in delivering exceptional training, learning, and development.
We’re shining a spotlight on individuals who make a real impact; not just on their trainees and learners, but also on their institutions and communities.
The Awards are free to enter and tutors or trainers must be nominated by a senior manager. The online nomination form consists of three questions so you can tell us all about your exceptional tutor or trainer and you also have the opportunity to submit evidence to further demonstrate the impact this person has had. The three questions are:
- What skills and experience did the tutor or trainer bring to your organisation?
- How is the trainer or tutor delivering training or development?
- What impact is this tutor or training having?
Question One
Proven expertise: the person’s knowledge, influence and expertise should be to a high professional standard - someone at the highest professional level in their career.
Question Two
The individual has delivered a skills development programme which would qualify for a recognised national training award and has had a demonstrable impact.
Question Three
This individual has gone above and beyond what they were initially brought into your organisation to do. They have influenced your staff, organisational practice, had an impact on learners and maybe even the community around them.
The Awards
We are looking for someone in the UK or Ireland that is at the top of their professional game and whom you are looking to recognise and reward for the benefits they bring to both your learners and institution.
The Awards are open for you to nominate exceptional tutors and trainers working at your organisation providing you can prove the impact they are making. More than one trainer can be nominated from your organisation and they can deliver any skills development programme.
The 2025 Awards are now closed and successful nominees will be announced in the Autumn.
Successful nominees will receive Membership of the City and Guilds of London Institute, with post-nominals MCGI, and will be invited to a London-based ceremony to officially receive this honour.
Who can apply for a Membership Award?
The Membership Awards recognise exceptional tutors and trainers based in the UK and Ireland who are providing impactful training and development to learners on a vocational training programme. The application process is based on a nomination approach so it’s likely that you will work closely with the trainer or tutor who you are nominating for an award. Therefore you may work in an organisation, college or training provider. The trainer or tutor who you are nominating could also be based at a separate organisation to you i.e. if you outsource your training and development delivery.
Do we have to be delivering a City & Guilds qualification in order to make a nomination?
No. You can nominate any trainer or tutor who is delivering impactful training or learning on any programme. It does not have to be a City & Guilds accredited programme.
What do you mean by ‘vocational training programme’?
Vocational education and training (VET) prepares people for work and develops skills to both gain and remain employable and responsive to the needs of the economy. VET qualifications are designed to equip individuals with practical skills, knowledge, and competencies required for a particular occupation or trade. Technical training focuses on developing technical skills and expertise related to a particular field or industry enabling employees to learn new roles or enhance their skills. VET is appropriate at every level including leadership and management.
Can I put myself forwards for a Membership Award?
As the Membership Awards are based on a nomination approach, you cannot put yourself forwards for an award.
What are the benefits of applying for a Membership Award?
Nominator
- Showcases your organisation/college/training provider as one which values its people and delivers excellent training, learning and development.
- Positions your trainer or tutor as exceptional: they are award-winning.
- Recognises and celebrates your employees, improves organisational culture and fosters loyalty amongst staff.
- Provides the opportunity to be part of the City & Guilds Foundation’s wider alumni network with peer support and access to a wide range of organisations who put training at the heart of what they do.
- Creates newsworthy content and the opportunity to shout about your success!
- Creates a talking point in marketing and recruitment campaigns.
Nominee
- Achieving a Membership Award shows you are at the top of your game in delivering impactful training and learning.
- Confirms that the person nominating you and the wider organisation believes that the training you are delivering is exceptional.
- You will receive ongoing membership of the City and Guilds of London Institute and can use the sought-after post-nominals MCGI.
- You will also be invited to a national event to receive membership to the City and Guilds of London Institute.
- Provides the opportunity to be part of the City & Guilds Foundation’s wider alumni network with peer support and access to a wide range of individuals who put training at the heart of what they do.
- You can showcase your achievements and position yourself as award winning on your CV and in your biography.
What does the nomination process include?
The first stage of the nomination process is the completion of an online nomination form where you nominate the trainer or tutor who is going above and beyond in their role. As these are evidence-based awards you are asked to submit evidence which further supports your nomination. You are also asked to submit a short testimonial from a senior member of staff who supports your nomination and a statement from the nominee.
Successful nominations will be invited to a virtual interview with the nominator, nominee and an independent Assessor in the Summer. You will find out if your nomination has been successful later in Autumn.
When do I need to complete my nomination by?
Nominations open on 7 April 2025 and will close on 19 May 2025.
How much does it cost to nominate?
It is free to nominate a trainer or tutor for a Membership Award. There is no cost implication at any stage of the process.
What do I need to have ready in order to make a nomination?
The online nomination includes a range of questions about you as the nominator and about the tutor or trainer that you are nominating for an award. You will ideally know the tutor or trainer well as you will be asked about their experience, their work, detailed information about their training planning and delivery and the resulting impact it has made. You will also be asked to submit relevant evidence to further support your nomination. Finally the online nomination asks you to submit a short testimonial from a senior member of staff.
What happens after I’ve submitted my nomination?
You will receive an email to let you know that we have received your nomination. You will hear if you have been shortlisted to the second stage of the process in July.
I’m unsure about how to answer a question in the nomination form. What should I do?
Talk to us! We are delivering two support webinars – one in April and one in May and we are here to answer all of your questions:
Email us at awards@cityandguilds.com.
How do I register?
- Go to the City & Guilds Foundation Applications and Nominations Platform
- Click Register
- Choose to register to SurveyMonkey Apply (recommended) or using a Social Media Account (this will redirect you to the social media platform to complete your registration)
- Click Create Account
- You will then receive an email asking to verify your account, click Confirm email address within this email
How do I reset my Password?
- Go to the City & Guilds Foundation Applications and Nominations Platform
- Click Log In
- Underneath the Email/Password fields, click “Forgot your password?“
- Enter the email address that you use to login to the site
- Click Send Instructions
- You will be sent instructions to the email you entered to reset your password. If you aren’t to locate the email in your inbox, we recommend checking your Spam/Junk folder
- Click on the link within the email
- Enter a new password and confirm the password
- Click Reset Password
Why am I not receiving any emails from the site?
- Ensure that noreply@mail.smapply.net is added to your safe sender list within your email account.
- Ensure that your email is verified within the site. If you’re receiving this notification at the top of your page, then it’s possible that you won’t receive other emails from the site.
- Ensure that you’re subscribed to receive emails from the site.
- Check your Spam Folder to verify whether the email was sent to your Spam/Junk folder.
- Depending on the email(s) you’re expecting to receive, reach out to the administrators to ensure that an email was sent out.
How do I create a new nomination?
- Click View Programmes
- Find Membership Awards (note that at certain times of the year, other awards programmes will show here) and select MORE >
- Click Apply