What we offer

At the City & Guilds Foundation, we are committed to supporting people who face barriers to developing skills and sustaining employment.

Our
Funding

Our
Awards

Our
Campaigning

Our
Resources

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Our approach to tackling these challenges is multifaceted

We provide Funding for training to help those with limited financial means to return to work or develop and progress in their career.

We celebrate and share achievements and best practice through our Awards.

We enhance awareness through our Campaigning, championing inclusion & diversity, neurodiversity, youth engagement and the challenges of digital poverty.

We deliver a range of Resources, including platforms, tools and content, to educate, support and inspire.

Funding

Affordability presents a key barrier to individuals undertaking vital training to enhance their employment opportunities. 

Through the City & Guilds Foundation’s bursaries, funding for skills development is delivered to those who really need it, supporting the hardest-to-reach groups to develop skills for employment.

The City & Guilds Foundation’s strategic social investments ensure the provision of funding for training to displaced people, former offenders and people from lower socio-economic groups. Our aim is to change lives and meet the needs of society by providing the financial means to enhance opportunities for securing and sustaining meaningful employment.

Our funding activities include our bursary programme which supports individuals in genuine financial need to access training programmes to upskill, our Future Skills Commission for Prisons which aids organisations delivering employment support for offenders, and other socially-centred programmes such as pro bono work.

Bursaries: funding for training

Since 2000, our bursary programme has been helping people in genuine financial need access training so they can develop skills for meaningful employment in key sectors facing skills shortages.

Supporting Rehabilitation

We are encouraging and assisting inspirational organisations that are delivering innovative programmes to support offenders to build their skills and move into employment.

Awards

The City & Guilds Foundation is dedicated to using the power of celebration to recognise and reward quality, excellence and outstanding results, whilst sharing best practice and inspiring change.

Through an assortment of prestigious awards that honour employers, City & Guilds employees, learners and tutors, the Foundation seeks to promote the acknowledgement, appreciation and celebration of individuals and organisations who demonstrate commitment and investment in skills development.

300+

organisations awarded

Princess Royal Training Awards

Honouring employers who have created outstanding training and skills development programmes which have resulted in exceptional commercial benefits.
650+

colleagues recognised

Ampersand Awards

Valuing and revering City & Guilds staff, the Ampersand Awards are a great way for us to celebrate our values, our purpose and our people.
30+

prizes given

Livery Company Prizes

Honouring outstanding achievements from students or tutors who have taken or taught City & Guilds qualifications in the trade of a Livery Company.

Campaigning

The City & Guilds Foundation are committed to enhancing awareness and broadening our reach. 

Through our campaigns, we endeavour to eliminate barriers and challenge perceptions which adversely affect work and skills development opportunities for marginalised groups.

Our extensive and influential campaigns champion inclusion & diversity, neurodiversity, youth engagement and underline the challenges of digital poverty.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

As employers, it’s our responsibility to learn about the diversity of thought and experiences that exist in our communities and societies. It is also our job to create inclusive, safe, fair workplaces to empower diverse talent.

Neurodiversity Index

We’ve partnered with Do-IT Solutions to find out how well employers support people with neurodiverse traits and to create our first Neurodiversity Index report.

Resources

The City & Guilds Foundation delivers a range of resources to educate, support and inspire organisations, employers, individuals and wider society.

Through platforms, tools and content, including Apprentice Connect, IBM SkillsBuild, the Lived Experience and Refugee Toolkits, the Foundation offers a range of information, advice and guidance to provide support and enhance opportunities for skills development.

Apprentice Connect

Created in 2013, Apprentice Connect is an initiative developed by City & Guilds apprentices who wanted to improve the information, advice and guidance offered to young people on apprenticeships.

Digital Poverty

Read the recent digital poverty report and recommendations from our partner the BAME Apprenticeship Alliance or access free digital resources.

IBM SkillsBuild

SkillsBuild is a learning platform from IBM that offers new and curated digital learning content to help you develop knowledge and skills to support your career.

Changing Lives, Changing Industries: HMP Highpoint’s groundbreaking rail training

Around two weeks ago, we had the privilege of attending HMP Highpoint to see the opening of the first ever rail centre of excellence in prison, which back in 2022 we...

Royal recognition for employers who invest in training and development in the UK and Ireland

On Thursday 21 November, 52 recipients from the UK and Ireland were recognised by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal through the Princess Royal Training Awards held at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London. Over the past nine years, The Princess Royal Training Awards, delivered by the City & Guilds Foundation, have recognised and celebrated organisations that deliver exceptional and impactful learning and development programmes.

Membership Awards Class of 2024: Championing Impact, Recognising Talent

City & Guilds is proud to announce the first recipients of the Membership Awards, a programme designed to celebrate and recognise exceptional tutors and trainers...

Launching City & Guilds Impact Report 2024!

For over 145 years, City & Guilds has been committed to making a meaningful impact on society by delivering high-quality skills training that meets the demands of...

Foundation Autumn Newsletter 2024: Advocating for those who need it most

Welcome to the latest edition of our quarterly newsletter which is packed with information, bringing to life the difference we’re making to help people access skills,...
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