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News & events

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

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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Welcoming Jessica Leigh Jones MBE FCGI as our new Chair

Welcoming Jessica Leigh Jones MBE FCGI as our new Chair

by | 21 Apr 2026 | ,

We’re pleased to announce the appointment of Jessica Leigh Jones MBE FCGI as the new Chair of the City and Guilds of London Institute (CGLI), now known as The City & Guilds Foundation. At City & Guilds Foundation, we believe skills have the power to unlock opportunity - for people, employers and society as a whole. They are one of the most powerful levers we have to reduce inequality, increase productivity and create a more resilient economy. As we look to the next phase of our...

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Place based skills pathways that start with trust and are leading to work – our Local Community Skills Fund

Place based skills pathways that start with trust and are leading to work – our Local Community Skills Fund

by | 30 Mar 2026 | , , , , ,

Across the UK, people who face the greatest barriers to work often live in the communities least served by mainstream skills provision. They are talented, capable and motivated, but too often held back by structural disadvantage, low confidence, disrupted education, potential trauma, caring responsibilities or simple lack of opportunity. Last year we created our Local Community Skills Fund (LCSF) to respond to this reality. We wanted to back organisations rooted in place, trusted by local...

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From pizza dough to people development: A visit to Princess Royal Training Award recipient, Domino’s Pizza UK and Ireland

From pizza dough to people development: A visit to Princess Royal Training Award recipient, Domino’s Pizza UK and Ireland

by | 26 Mar 2026 | , , , ,

Walking into Domino’s HQ in Milton Keynes feels a bit like stepping inside the heartbeat of a brand that never stops moving. From the hum of cutting‑edge automation to the warmth of a team who truly live their values, the visit offered a rare look at the people and processes powering one of the UK’s most recognisable names. And at the centre of it all is a culture that not only attracts talent but keeps it for decades! Our recent visit to Domino’s offered an inspiring look at an organisation...

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Celebrating skills in the City at Mansion House

Celebrating skills in the City at Mansion House

by | 13 Mar 2026 | , , , , ,

The City & Guilds Foundation joined Livery Companies, tutors, trainers, apprentices and craftspeople from across the UK and Ireland on Thursday 12 March for the annual Livery Company Prize Ceremony at Mansion House. The event also recognised recipients of the CGLI Membership Awards and the Livery Master Certificate Scheme; celebrating excellence in skills, training and lifelong learning. Hosted by The Rt Hon. The Lady Mayor, Dame Susan Langley DBE, the ceremony highlighted the...

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Awareness Isn’t Enough: What the 2026 Neurodiversity Index really tells us

Awareness Isn’t Enough: What the 2026 Neurodiversity Index really tells us

by | 11 Mar 2026 | , ,

Today we’ve launched our Neurodiversity Index in partnership with Do-IT Solutions, and the headline from this year’s report - Despite organisations feeling more confident than ever about supporting neurodivergent staff, the lived experience of neurodivergent employees is moving in the opposite direction. Now in its fourth year, and in partnership with Do-IT Solutions, the Index provides the clearest picture yet of how neurodivergent people experience work in the UK, and this year’s results...

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