Our Impact

Delivering social impact is central to the work we do

We are committed to measuring the impact we are making on people, organisations and wider society, and ensuring that we make more impact, on more people, who need it the most.

New: Read the 2023 City & Guilds Impact Report now!

City & Guilds and Foundation Social Impact Reports 2020-2022

Our ambition

Learning new skills is a wonderful gift in and of itself but it is also an essential step for people to progress. Training and qualifications are only worthwhile if they support development and progression, improve productivity or help to fill skills gaps.

At City & Guilds we have long championed the value of skills to help people into a job, progress on the job and move into the next one. In fact helping people, organisations and economies to develop their skills for growth is our core purpose.

That is why we have ourselves a bold ambition to understand, measure and report on the societal impact we are having across every touch point in all of our activities, markets and sectors.

“As Chief Executive, I am clear that it is our collective impact that holds us to account for ourch aritable objectives and the reason we were founded back in 1878 – to make a meaningful difference to society through skills. I am so proud of the progress we are making in opening up opportunities to more people, in perhaps the toughest times we have seen for some generations. This report reflects how we continue to respond to the evolving needs of people, organisations and society.”

Kirstie Donnelly MBE

Chief Executive, City & Guilds

2023 Impact Report

Highlights include:

In delivering our goal of enhancing opportunities in skills and work, we are dedicated to ensuring that our work makes a real difference in people’s lives and we are proud of the impact that our work has had to date.

This year, City & Guilds has worked with 1,500 organisations and 3.5 million learners globally.

%

of our learners have progressed into further education or work,12 percentage points higher than the rest of the market.

City & Guilds courses in the UK have contributed approximately £11.2bn to society.

£10m of social value created by the Future Skills Commission for Prisons Big Idea Fund, the equivalent of £18.62 for every £1 invested.

Digital credentials have grown x12 since we issued 17,909 in 2019.

Green Skills qualification completions quadrupled since 2019 to nearly 10,000.

“This report reinforces the concept that skills are a crucial leveller for society. City & Guilds continues to open up opportunities and gateways for people to build skills and progress into and through sustained employment. But we know there is more to do, and we want to build on the work highlighted here, through partnerships, to ensure those most in need have the opportunity to build those skills we know are or will be needed in society”

Faiza Khan MBE

Executive Director, Corporate Affairs & Foundation, City & Guilds

Our Foundation impact to date

In delivering our goal of enhancing opportunities in skills and work, we are dedicated to ensuring that our work makes a real difference in people’s lives and we are proud of the impact that our work has had to date.

Recent highlights have included:

partner organisations widening our reach and impact

people directly supported through the Foundation since 2017

%

bursary recipients employed 6 months after course completion (up from 31% at application)

prisoners and ex-offenders supported into work by Big Idea Fund

action-oriented pledges made following our Neurodiversity Index launch

%

Princess Royal Training Award recipients increasing investment into Learning and Development

“Being Chair of the City & Guilds Foundation is one of the jobs I am most proud of and privileged to undertake. There is so much social need in the world and so many people deserving of our support, so it’s a pleasure to be able to be a tiny part of making a difference – particularly in combating key societal issues through the work that is happening across the Foundation.”

Dick Palmer

Chair, City & Guilds Foundation

Our theory of change

Over the past year, we have been developing our social impact framework, in partnership with Cranfield University and The Giving Department, and this report shares our process, in what will be a regular and robust measurement of our social impact. This first report is mostly about how we developed our Theory of Change approach, and how it is helping to shape our focus, as well as sharing current baseline evidence of our impact, where that exists. We’re on the right track, and we can now build on that work throughout the Group.

We recognise that this is a long-term commitment, which starts rather than finishes with this report. We are making eight clear commitments to take forward will soon be measuring and reporting all of our social metrics alongside our financial performance to ensure we offer the greatest possible impact through our qualifications and services.

‘Helping people, organisations and economies develop their skills for growth’

People icon

People

• Learner reach and completion
• Improving wellbeing
• Progression
• Sustained employment

→ Secure & sustained employment

Organisations icon

Organisations

• Reach
• Embedded skills
• Organisational performance
• Added value

→ Strengthened organisations

Wider Society icon

Wider Society

• Changing the nature of learning
• Addressing skills in need
• Championing vocational learning
• Focusing on sector-based outcomes

→ Skilled & productive society

City & Guilds and Foundation Impact Reports 2020-2022

City & Guilds Social Impact Report 2022

Social Impact Report 2022

City & Guilds Social Impact Report 2021

Social Impact Report 2021

City & Guilds Social Impact Report 2020

Social Impact Report 2020

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