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News & events

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

Princess Royal Training Award-Winning Impact: How P Flannery’s Skills Bootcamps are tackling the construction skills gap and building an inclusive skills pipeline

Princess Royal Training Award-Winning Impact: How P Flannery’s Skills Bootcamps are tackling the construction skills gap and building an inclusive skills pipeline

by | 11 Jun 2026 | , ,

When P Flannery Plant Hire received a Princess Royal Training Award in 2025, it recognised a bold, employer-led approach to tackling one of the construction industry’s most persistent challenges: a critical shortage of skilled plant operators. Through the development of its Skills Bootcamps, the business has created a reliable pipeline of talent for its own workforce and has also opened up employment opportunities for individuals facing significant barriers to work. Addressing a critical...

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Supporting the carers who put others first: A £25,000 bursary fund to help young carers build their futures

Supporting the carers who put others first: A £25,000 bursary fund to help young carers build their futures

by | 10 Jun 2026 | ,

Carers Trust is a leading UK charity working to transform the lives of unpaid carers, partnering with a network of local carer organisations to deliver vital support, services and recognition for those who look after family members or friends. For many young carers, those responsibilities can make it harder to access the training and qualifications that open up work opportunities and further study. That is precisely the kind of barrier the City & Guilds Foundation aims to break down: our...

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Behind every NEET statistic is a young person – what the Milburn review means for skills

Behind every NEET statistic is a young person – what the Milburn review means for skills

by | 2 Jun 2026 | , , , , ,

The publication of Alan Milburn’s interim review on young people and work should be a wake-up call for all of us. With more than 1 million young people now classified as NEET, this is not simply a youth employment challenge. It is a challenge for our economy and our future workforce. Across the City & Guilds Foundation network, partners have welcomed the review while highlighting an important reality: the evidence has been there for years. What we need now is collective action. Our funded...

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Rising dough, rising futures: £50,000 awarded to The Clink Bakery at HMP Brixton

Rising dough, rising futures: £50,000 awarded to The Clink Bakery at HMP Brixton

by | 19 May 2026 | , , ,

The City & Guilds Foundation has awarded £50,000 to The Clink Charity to safeguard and strengthen The Clink Bakery at HMP Brixton; a life-changing vocational training programme that is equipping people in prison with the skills, qualifications and support they need to build stable lives after release. About The Clink Bakery The Clink Bakery opened in October 2022 at HMP Brixton, next door to The Clink's award-winning restaurant. Operating as a real production kitchen, it provides learners...

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Building Skills, Rebuilding Futures: The Transformation of Spinney House

Building Skills, Rebuilding Futures: The Transformation of Spinney House

by | 18 May 2026 | , , ,

A major refurbishment project which was awarded £25,000 funding from us at the City & Guilds Foundation is nearing completion. The project has saw the transformation of an empty three-bedroom house into a safe, welcoming space where women on Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) can spend quality time with their children. The initiative, delivered by Volunteer It Yourself in partnership with Wates Group, is around 85% complete and already demonstrating the value of combining rehabilitation...

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Announcing our new Chief Executive, Ben Blackledge

Announcing our new Chief Executive, Ben Blackledge

by | 12 May 2026 | , ,

A leading voice in UK and international skills development will join us at a pivotal moment for opportunity and growth. Today we’ve announced the appointment of Ben Blackledge as our new Chief Executive, bringing extensive experience in skills leadership and a strong commitment to transforming lives through education and opportunity. Ben joins from WorldSkills UK, where he has spent the past 12 years, most recently as CEO, championing skills excellence and helping to create world-class...

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City & Guilds Foundation awards £25,000 to Citizen Hub to unlock accessible volunteering and skills development

City & Guilds Foundation awards £25,000 to Citizen Hub to unlock accessible volunteering and skills development

by | 6 May 2026 | , , , ,

Citizen Hub has been awarded £25,000 from the City & Guilds Foundation to expand its work in making volunteering more accessible and strengthening community-led support in St Neots and Wimbledon. The funding will be split equally between Citizen Hub St Neots and Citizen Hub Wimbledon, supporting a 12-month programme designed to remove barriers to volunteering and create meaningful pathways into employment and community leadership. The funding will cover essential costs such as travel,...

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Celebrating award-winning apprenticeships with The Princess Royal Training Award recipient, National Theatre

Celebrating award-winning apprenticeships with The Princess Royal Training Award recipient, National Theatre

by | 29 Apr 2026 | , , , , ,

The Princess Royal Training Awards are one of our flagship programmes supported by our President, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, who has championed the programme since its inception. Now in its eleventh year, the Awards have recognised over 300 employers delivering exceptional training programmes and demonstrating the positive impact that it’s had on individuals, organisations and wider society. This week, Her Royal Highness visited the National Theatre to celebrate its pioneering...

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Insights from our Transition Commission: Supporting young people at critical life stages

Insights from our Transition Commission: Supporting young people at critical life stages

by | 24 Apr 2026 | , ,

This week, partners from the first round of Transition Commission funding came together to share progress and early learnings from their programmes. While still in the early stages, the discussion highlighted the importance of targeted, local support in helping young people at risk of disengaging from education, training or employment. Why this work matters At the start of our meeting Laura-Jane Rawlings, Chair of our Transition Commission and CEO at Youth Employment UK, gave an update on the...

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