Connecting our communities

The latest stories in this category from the City & Guilds Foundation and our networks.

[Podcast] Inclusion & Diversity Series: Race inclusion – supporting black talent

[Podcast] Inclusion & Diversity Series: Race inclusion – supporting black talent

by | 13 Oct 2021 | , ,

As part of the City & Guilds Foundation Inclusion and diversity events series, offering thought-provoking conversations and actionable steps to promote equal opportunities and improve inclusion and diversity in your organisation. this episode explores the importance of role models and allies in breaking down barriers at work for all ethnic groups. Having visible role models at all levels of a company and across different roles provides concrete evidence and inspiration for ethnically...

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City & Guilds – continuing to forge the skills for today, and tomorrow

City & Guilds – continuing to forge the skills for today, and tomorrow

by | 3 Sep 2021 | ,

Everything we do at City & Guilds is driven by our purpose.  Today we talk about enabling people to develop the skills which will get them into a job, help them develop on the job and be able to progress to the next job.  We also talk about skills being essential for economic well-being for individuals, organisations and economies, but where did all that come from?  You have to go back to the Victorian era in the 1850s: a time of great change with the introduction of new...

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Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) Applications for funding opening 12 July 2021

Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) Applications for funding opening 12 July 2021

by | 30 Jun 2021 | ,

We are delighted to announce that our friends at the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust will be accepting new applications for funding between 12 July and 16 August 2021. Talented and aspiring candidates can apply for up to £18,000 to further their education through traditional college courses, vocational training, apprenticeships or one-to-one training with master craftsmen. The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) awards scholarship and apprenticeship funding of up to £18,000 to talented...

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New bursary launched to help Londoners get back into work

New bursary launched to help Londoners get back into work

by | 21 May 2021 | , ,

Created in response to the impact of the pandemic on London’s labour market, the new £50K London Bursary Skills fund aims to remove barriers to help Londoners quickly upskill and find work Today, the City & Guilds Foundation – part of skills organisation City & Guilds Group –  has launched a new London Bursary skills fund of £50,000, aimed at helping those who need it most across the capital get the skills they need, fast. Set up in response to the serious impact of the...

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Announcing Clink Kitchens

Announcing Clink Kitchens

by | 23 Mar 2021 | , ,

Long term City & Guilds partner Clink Restaurant Charity announces the launch of Clink Kitchens, bringing new training opportunities to thousands of prisoners across 70 facilities We’re delighted to congratulate the Clink on the recent announcement that they will be launching their Clink Kitchens scheme, offering training, culminating in a City & Guilds qualification, across 70 prisons across the UK. Over the next three years this scheme will allow offenders to complete their level 2...

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It’s time to act on digital exclusion

It’s time to act on digital exclusion

by | 4 Dec 2020 | ,

Last month I was invited to speak at the Apprenticeship Diversity & Social Mobility Forum, which aims to bring together leading figures in diversity and inclusion, and experts on social mobility. The series of three annual events was organised by one of our newest partners, the BAME Apprenticeships Alliance, a community of organisations who support diversity in the workplace through policy and advocacy.   The...

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Interview with Change Grow Live’s Laura Shurrock

Interview with Change Grow Live’s Laura Shurrock

by | 15 Oct 2020 | , , ,

We recently caught up with Laura Shurrock, Mentoring Support Officer at Change Grow Live, a charity we have been supporting since 2018 with a three-year grant. Change Grow Live’s mission is to help people change the direction of their lives, grow as individuals, and live life to its full potential. Our funding supports Change Grow Live's project in partnership with Birmingham Youth Offending Service and the West Midlands Police, which helps young people in the community who are at risk of...

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Our network is growing: welcome to our new Fellows

Our network is growing: welcome to our new Fellows

by | 9 Oct 2020 |

We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the contributions of those who passionately advocate for technical, vocational and lifelong education. Fellowship of the City & Guilds of London Institute is a prestigious honour, recognising individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional and personal achievements in skills development and workplace training. Welcome to the new Fellows who are joining the network in 2020. We hope to be able to celebrate with you all in the near future!...

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From prison to lockdown: how to make peer-mentoring work in the crisis

From prison to lockdown: how to make peer-mentoring work in the crisis

by | 6 Oct 2020 | ,

The best ideas are born out of necessity, and for St Giles that was finding a way to deliver the Peer Advisor programme during Covid-19. The programme trains people with lived experience of social exclusion, including many prisoners and prison-leavers, to become Level 3 qualified Peer Advisors who then go on to support others from similar backgrounds. It plays a significant role in helping people overcome barriers and move towards employment; research from Cranfield University found that...

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An update on our bursary programme – providing access to the skills most needed, for those who need it most

An update on our bursary programme – providing access to the skills most needed, for those who need it most

by | 6 Oct 2020 | , ,

Our bursary programme was designed to change people’s lives by allowing them to develop their skills. We know that, for some, the cost of training can be a huge barrier to getting the skills to find jobs and progress in their careers. Recent research indicates that without the support of funding, those hardest to reach will find it even harder to progress in a labour market which favours those already in higher-paying work. That’s why we set up the bursary programme in 2000 – to help people in...

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