City & Guilds launches refreshed Social Value Strategy

City & Guilds has launched a refreshed Social Value Strategy that places social and economic impact at the heart of everything we do. This enhanced commitment reflects our continued dedication to creating opportunities for learners, supporting employers, and contributing to sustainable economic growth.

20 January 2026

New commitment reinforces our mission to create meaningful impact through skills and learning

Creating impact beyond qualifications

Social value represents the positive difference we make beyond our core services -helping individuals access life-changing opportunities, enabling inclusive growth, and building a fairer, more sustainable future for all.

Our refreshed strategy embodies our mission: to use our expertise to address skills needs while ensuring fair and inclusive employment progression for people from all backgrounds. We believe that skills are good for people, good for the planet, and good for growth.

Five pillars of social value

Our approach is structured around five key pillars:

1. Develop access to fair and inclusive pathways for skills for the future.
   We're creating adaptive frameworks and qualification pathways that respond to both current and emerging skills needs, ensuring everyone can access the learning they need.
2. Ensure skills and progression for learners who need it most.
   We're prioritising support for those facing the greatest barriers to completion and career progression, helping to level the playing field.
3. Share knowledge and best practice with employers.
   We're working with employers to promote inclusive skills and learning practices that address skills gaps, improve productivity, and drive performance.
4. Champion the role of skills in driving economic growth.
   We're advocating for lifelong skills development and investment as essential engines for economic growth and resilience.
5. Demonstrate best practice through our own workforce.
   We're leading by example with inclusive employment practices, diverse career routes, and meaningful volunteering opportunities.

What this means for you

This strategy will guide how we design our qualifications, work with employer partners, and support learners. Whether you're an employer looking to develop your workforce, a training provider seeking to improve outcomes, or a learner planning your career path, our Social Value Strategy ensures we're focused on creating real, measurable impact.

• For employers: We'll continue to provide qualifications and insights that help you build skilled, diverse teams while addressing your specific skills challenges.
• For learners: You can expect pathways and support designed to help you succeed, regardless of your starting point or the barriers you may face.
• For training providers: We'll share best practices and develop resources that help you deliver inclusive, high-quality learning experiences.

Our commitment continues

This refreshed strategy reinforces our position as a responsible organisation committed to making a difference to people, organisations and economies. We will work in active partnership to spread our impact across our businesses and with external partners who have expertise in reaching learners with us at scale. As we move forward, we'll be sharing more about our social value activities and their impact. If you have a particular project or area you would like to discuss, please get in touch about how our social value commitments can work to support yours.