Awards alumni | City & Guilds Foundation

Foundation and Friends Podcast: Making Sustainability a Core Part of Your Organisation’s Success

by Natasha Kalinga | 31 Jul 2025 | Awards alumni, Green skills, Podcasts

What does true sustainability look like when it’s woven into every aspect of work — not just bolted on as a embedded initiative? In this revealing episode, host Natasha Kalinga sits down with renowned keynote speaker Raquel Noboa, founder of the multi award-winning Fifty Shades Greener and recipient of a Princess Royal Training Award, and Edwin Raj, Senior Programme Manager at Johnson Matthey, to explore how sustainability can become a cornerstone of organisational culture, leadership, and...

Co-op’s Levy Share to support UK’s first Prisoner Apprenticeship programme to address rail skill shortages and reduce reoffending

by Laura Mountain | 29 Jul 2025 | Awards alumni, News, News & events, Prisoners and ex-offenders, Social Impact

In a first, Co-op and City & Guilds partner to address reoffending and rail skills shortages with guaranteed employment pathways. Co-op to offer a dedicated levy share service to support apprenticeships for serving prisoners who’ll go on to work in the rail sector. The Level 2 Rail Engineering operative apprenticeships will be based at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk delivering vital hands-on training for the UK rail sector. Reoffending costs the UK economy over £21bn a year—this initiative aims...

Foundation & Friends Podcast: How to Build a Leadership Programme That Drives Change with G4S

by Natasha Kalinga | 30 Jun 2025 | Awards alumni, Podcasts, Princess Royal Training Awards

What does it really take to build a values-led, inclusive leadership culture that drives measurable business success? Stevie Ingram-Palmer, Learning & Development Implementation Manager at G4S—and author, leadership innovator, and proud PRTA award recipient, joins Foundation & Friends, host Natasha Kalinga, together they explore the game-changing Next Level Leadership Programme, a 60-week initiative that’s not only transforming leadership at G4S but also reshaping the way global...

A decade of excellence and a room full of inspiration – Princess Royal Training Awards Skills Share 2025

by Polly Rowe | 7 May 2025 | Awards, Awards alumni, Fellowship Awards, News, News & events, Our networks, President's Award, Princess Royal Training Awards

On 30 April 2025, City & Guilds hosted its second-ever Skills Share event – this time at the stunning Goldsmiths’ Hall in London – marking a major milestone: 10 years of the Princess Royal Training Awards. With over 130 Award recipients in attendance, the event was not just a celebration but a forum for shared learning, inspiration and reflection on what a decade of investment in skills development really means. It was a special honour to once again welcome the President of the City &...

Ten Years of the Princess Royal Training Awards

by Stuart Tucker | 1 May 2025 | Awards alumni, Princess Royal Training Awards, Video content

In the tenth year of the Princess Royal Training Awards we take a look back at some of the recipients including Balfour Beatty, Fifty Shades Greener and Pret A Manger to find out what achieving the standard means to them and their organisations.

Foundation & Friends Podcast: Celebrating a Decade of Transformative Training Excellence with Legal & General

by Natasha Kalinga | 24 Feb 2025 | Awards alumni, Podcasts, Princess Royal Training Awards

Welcome to the second episode of the brand-new season of Foundation and Friends! This time, we dive into the world of learning and development with a special guest, Peter Coats, Group Protection Academy Manager at Legal & General. Hosted by Fenella Tallon, Chief Assessor for the Princess Royal Training Awards, this episode explores the transformative impact of exceptional training initiatives and what it takes to achieve award-winning L&D success. Peter shares his journey into the...

Foundation & Friends Podcast: Exploring Innovative Training Solutions with HX Expeditions

by Natasha Kalinga | 13 Jan 2025 | Awards alumni, Podcasts, Princess Royal Training Awards

In this episode, we dive into the world of HX Expeditions and their award-winning training programme for expedition guides working in polar bear territories. Jim Mayer, Expedition Team Training Manager, shares insights into how their training has evolved to ensure safety in extreme conditions, and how this unique approach led to their recognition with the prestigious award. Key highlights from the conversation include: Real-life training, real results: Jim discusses the importance of hands-on,...

Foundation & Friends Podcast: Championing Investment into DEI Programmes with Tammy Banks from Taye Training

by Natasha Kalinga | 30 May 2024 | Awards alumni, Awareness Raising, City & Guilds initiatives, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Lived Experience, Neurodiversity, Podcasts

Successful DEI training within organisations can foster innovation and creativity as well as attract and retain top talent. To explore this topic, host Charmain Bucho, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at City & Guilds, is joined by Taye Training Director, Consultant & Facilitator Tammy Banks. The esteemed author and TED Talks speaker explores how investment in skills opens opportunities for staff in the social care and criminal justice sectors. Tammy discusses the transformative...

Skills Share 2024: a room full of training royalty

by Polly Rowe | 15 May 2024 | Awards, Awards alumni, Charity partners, City & Guilds initiatives, News, News & events, Our networks, Princess Royal Training Awards

On 1 May 2024 we launched our first ever Skills Share event at Guildhall, London. This was a space to network and learn from the 200+ organisations who have successfully achieved a Princess Royal Training Award over the past nine years (for some up to seven times for different award programmes!). We were delighted that The President of the City & Guilds of London Institute, HRH The Princess Royal was also able to join us and share her own valuable insights of the Awards – that are in her...

Foundation & Friends podcast: Championing Investment into Early Talent

by Natasha Kalinga | 23 Apr 2024 | Awards alumni, Awareness Raising, Foundation Collective, News, Podcasts, Princess Royal Training Awards, Youth engagement

A successful early talent strategy and strong learning culture can help organisations to attract, engage and retain early career employees, leading to a more productive workforce and a thriving future for your organisation. To explore this topic, host Manuel Thompson-Ọ́lọ́kọ̀, Early Talent and Apprenticeships Partner at City & Guilds, is joined by Lesley Bamber, Early Careers UK & I Lead at award-winning firm WTW, who shares his proven strategies for developing young talent and...