News & events | City & Guilds Foundation

Modern Work Experience: Creating Fair and Future-Ready Opportunities for Every Young Person

by Lauren Roberts | 5 Dec 2025 | Campaigning, News, News & events, Youth engagement

Work experience isn’t what it used to be and that’s a good thing. The UK is on the cusp of a real shift in how young people engage with the world of work, moving from a box-ticking placement to a modern, structured, and equitable programme. But ambition alone won’t fix what’s broken. The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) is leading a push for Modern Work Experience, a reimagined model that promises every young person 2 weeks (10 days) worth of workplace exposure across their secondary...

A decade of excellence: Royal recognition for UK and Irish organisations honoured at the Princess Royal Training Awards

by Lan Che | 4 Dec 2025 | Awards, News, News & events, Princess Royal Training Awards

On Tuesday 2 December, in an awards ceremony at Fishmongers Hall, the City & Guilds Foundation had the honour of recognising 56 outstanding employers who offer leading edge training programmes to their staff. City & Guilds Foundation President, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal presented the award.

City & Guilds Foundation supports women to gain DIY skills through new housing partnership

by Laura Mountain | 24 Nov 2025 | Funding, News, News & events

City & Guilds Foundation has awarded funding to support a pilot project led by employment support social enterprise Frameworks, in partnership with Build Salford and Salix Homes, a key provider of social housing in Salford. The Women in Maintenance project has so far supported seven female social housing residents to gain home maintenance skills including carpentry, tiling and plumbing - empowering them to maintain their own homes and improving their access to paid work. Four of the...

Celebrating Excellence: Fellowship Luncheon at Imperial College London

by Stuart Tucker | 20 Nov 2025 | Events, Fellowship Awards, Fellowship Network

Earlier this week we hosted a Fellowship Luncheon with Imperial College London, held once again at the elegant 170 Queen’s Gate. This prestigious event brought together Fellows of the City and Guilds of London Institute (CGLI) to celebrate excellence and achievement across a wide spectrum of industries. Originally reserved for alumni of Imperial College London, the Fellowship now honours individuals whose accomplishments reflect the diversity and depth of modern industry. With fewer than 500...

£247,000 awarded to support young Londoners’ futures

by Polly Rowe | 18 Nov 2025 | Funding, News, News & events, Transitions Commission

We’re pleased to announce the first round of funding from our newly established Transitions Commission, which has seen us award £247,000 in grants to three London-based charities which are dedicated to helping young people move successfully into education and employment. This initiative comes at a critical time. Across the UK, nearly one million young people are not in education, employment, or training (NEET)—the highest level in over a decade. In London, youth unemployment stands at 14.6%,...

Transforming access to STEM with EngineeringUK

by Lauren Roberts | 14 Nov 2025 | Campaigning, Charity partners, Funding, News, News & events, Our networks, Youth engagement

We’re proud to announce a groundbreaking five-year partnership with EngineeringUK aimed at improving access to high-quality STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) experiences for secondary school students across the UK. This initiative represents a significant investment in the future workforce and a commitment to tackling the persistent skills gap in engineering and technology. Why this work matters and what we’re doing STEM careers are critical to the UK economy, yet many young...

The City & Guilds Foundation announces 19 exceptional recipients of the 2025 Membership Awards

by Lan Che | 11 Nov 2025 | Awards, Membership Awards, News, News & events

The City & Guilds Foundation is delighted to announce the 19 outstanding tutors and trainers recognised as recipients of the 2025 Membership Awards – a prestigious programme celebrating those who go above and beyond to transform lives through skills and training. Launched in 2024, the Membership Awards honour individuals who exemplify excellence, innovation and dedication in vocational education. The awards shine a light on the professionals who are quietly and consistently changing lives;...

A New Chapter for the City & Guilds Foundation

by Polly Rowe | 30 Oct 2025 | News, Statements

The City & Guilds of London Institute has entered a landmark agreement with global leader in education and assessment PeopleCert, marking a pivotal moment in which our revenue-generating activities will be enabled to access greater investment, and have greater impact moving forwards. This strategic move will also enable the Foundation to focus even more sharply on its charitable mission — championing skills development, increasing access to opportunity, and supporting those furthest from...

City & Guilds of London Institute secures landmark deal to strengthen its scope for increased social impact

by Laura Mountain | 16 Oct 2025 | Statements

City & Guilds of London Institute (CGLI) today announces its ambition to become an innovative social investor and change maker through the proposed sale of its commercial awarding organisation and skills training activities to PeopleCert, a global leader in certification of professional and language skills. CGLI will continue to operate under its now familiar brand The City & Guilds Foundation with the ambition to play a significant part in addressing societal and skills needs of the...

Fellowship in the City: inspiration, celebration and connection

by Polly Rowe | 10 Sep 2025 | Awards alumni, Events, Fellowship Awards, Fellowship Network

The day began with a warm welcome from our City & Guilds Vice-Chair and City & Guilds Foundation Chair, Dick Palmer FCGI, followed by remarks from Sir Andrew Parmley, representing the Lord Mayor. Their reflections on the historic ties between City & Guilds and the City of London set the tone for an afternoon rooted in legacy and forward-thinking. Our keynote speaker, Prof Dr Larissa Suzuki, captivated the room with her talk on “AI will benefit society; how...