News

How apprenticeships help learners build careers for the future

With the cost of living continuing to rise and the heavy burden of debt attached to the university route, is it time for more young people to consider apprenticeships?

Only 4% of employers are spending their full apprenticeship levy funding

Use your expertise to help develop qualifications

Part of the solution – the essential role of industry in technical qualification development

New platform for e-Functional Skills support resources

We’re excited to launch Boost, a new and improved platform for our e-Functional Skills support resources.

Youth Misspent: Uncovering the harsh realities for Britain’s young people in today’s job market

City & Guilds’ research finds that the odds are being stacked against young people’s futures and career aspirations – particularly the most disadvantaged.

Championing quality and support in apprenticeships

Continued commitment and investment in apprenticeships is more important now than ever but embedding a quality learning journey and offering continued support is crucial to get the best outcomes for learners and industry - says David Phillips, Managing Director of City & Guilds

T Levels: the gold standard in technical qualifications

It’s now been two years since the roll out of T Levels began and as more programmes are being introduced, including three Engineering and Manufacturing T Level pathways as well as the Management and Administration T Level just this year, are you up to speed on what they are and how they can benefit learners or have an impact on skills shortage?

Number Confidence Week

Number Confidence Week is a great time to put a spotlight on the challenges we face with numeracy levels across the UK and the opportunities we have to make a difference, for individuals, employers and the economy.

EPA price increases will be effective from 1 February 2023

City & Guilds and ILM prices for end-point assessment will increase from next year.

Powering up the energy sector’s skills strategy

The Energy sector is one of the most critical industries in the country and has dominated headlines in recent months – how is the sector evolving and what opportunities can a career in the sector offer?

Training Trends 2022

City & Guilds’ research finds that despite continued investment into tailored in-house training programmes, many are failing or falling short of achieving their objectives with 99% of employers seeing a programme fail in the last five years.

City & Guilds acquires electrical training provider Trade Skills 4U

City & Guilds, the global skills development organisation, has today announced the acquisition of Trade Skills 4U, one of the UK'’s leading training providers for electrical engineering, from private equity firm Palatine.

Assessment arrangements for 2023

City & Guilds, AoC and AELP partnering to form the Future Skills Coalition

A Skills and Productivity vision for the Future

Colleges Week: City & Guilds staff fondly remember their college days

Since its first year, Colleges Week has gone from strength to strength promoting what colleges can do for their students and staff alike.

Partnering with The 5% Club to champion apprenticeships and work-based learning

Skills are critical to the UK’s productivity and economy. As such we are delighted to be working collaboratively with The 5% Club whose purpose and vision aligns very closely to ours, as champions of the apprenticeships and skills agenda.

Specific Learning Difficulties Toolkit: For Trainers

City & Guilds in partnership with the Education Training Foundation are launching a series of tools to support inclusive learning.

World EV day 2022 - City & Guilds driving change to meet 2030 EV charging targets

World EV Day is a global movement, driving change, celebrating e-mobility and encouraging transitions to sustainable transport. City & Guilds have made significant strides to support this agenda in the past 12 months by developing a range of new products that will support the need to train tens of thousands of people to fit the new EV charging points required in the years ahead.

A symbiotic relationship: Levelling Up and Net Zero

As the world waits expectantly for the discussions, decisions and outcomes of the upcoming COP27 Summit, we at City & Guilds are strengthening our responsible business agenda with one of the key pillars being to reduce our carbon impact and achieve Net Zero by 2040. As part of the review we are looking internally how we build sustainability into our decision-making processes and externally how we support the drive to a fairer, sustainable future by embedding decarbonisation into our products and services.

Statement on the death of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II from Kirstie Donnelly MBE, CEO, City & Guilds:

Employer and industry T Level update: Animal Care and Management Technical Qualification (TQ)

The development of the T Level Technical Qualification has been underway since October 2021, and over recent months it has become apparent that in order to ensure the final product meets the expectations of both employers and higher education providers, the content and structure of the qualification needs further work and engagement.

Almost half of girls opt for university despite only a third of jobs requiring a degree

Ahead of A-Level results day, new research from skills organisation City & Guilds reveals that more young people are turning towards university compared to the same time last year.

Adult Social Care is an investment in all of our futures

The Social Care sector is one of the UK’s most vital industries and instrumental in supporting the most vulnerable in our society – how can we support this undervalued industry in need of skills?

99% of working electricians believe there are major risks with EV charging work

New research from City & Guilds finds that nearly all working electricians believe there are significant risks associated with Electrical Vehicle (EV) charging work, yet only 28% have received specific training

T Levels: Employers and experts from industry have had their say...

How T Levels in Agriculture, Environment and Animal Care have developed over the last 9 months

T Levels, Floristry and the land-based workforce of the future

How employers within the floristry industry can help define and shape the workforce of the future.

T Levels, Agriculture and the land-based workforce of the future

By nature, the land-based sector is diverse and offers a variety of exciting opportunities and career paths to choose from.

A firm foundation of skills and education needed to ‘Level Up’ the UK

The Levelling Up agenda has set out ambitious goals to improve levels of living standards and incomes across the UK, with regional inequality being a clear priority. Skills and education will undoubtedly need to play a critical role if we are to realise these ambitions.

Annual price increase confirmation for 2022/23

City & Guilds and ILM prices for the next academic year will be increasing.

The essential role of rail in keeping the country moving

The rail sector is one of the UK’s most vital industries – what do we need to do to keep it on track?

City & Guilds launch first ever interactive and digital Annual Review

Despite the challenges we all faced in 2021 living through the pandemic, City & Guilds had many achievements and successes.

City & Guilds Chair awarded damehood in Queen’s Birthday Honours

The Chair of City & Guilds, Dame Ann Limb DBE CBE FRSA DL, has been made a dame in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to Young People and Philanthropy.

Use it or Lose it – Uncovering Best Practises to Maximise the UK’s Adult Education Budget

One of the government’s many longstanding endeavours to address the ongoing skill shortage crisis in the UK – which has been further exacerbated by the pandemic and the aftermath of Brexit – is the Adult Education Budget (AEB).

Recognising skills progression with digital credentials

Alexandra O’Connor, Senior Manager – Service Design & Delivery at City & Guilds, reflects on the recent Progressing Skills through Digital Credentials webinar and the key insights from the session.

Not a shred of waste: City & Guilds gives textbooks to UK prisons

John Beck, Regional Business Manager, Northern England, Nations, Ireland & UK Prisons, gives an account of the decision to put surplus textbooks to good use, instead of destroying them.

City & Guilds is proud to be the lead supporter of National Numeracy Day 2022

Amanda Kelly shares optimistic thoughts about National Numeracy, addressing ‘maths anxiety’ and building a confident workforce.

Bridging the skills gap for EV infrastructure installation

In our efforts to consistently expand and deepen our understanding of the UK’s various sectors and their skills requirements, we hosted an enlightening round table with experts in EV (electric vehicles).

City & Guilds evolves the famous lion logo

City & Guilds has been consistently recognised each year as an iconic brand, with the symbolic lion being seen as a mark of quality and trust.

T Levels and the future land-based workforce

The benefits to employers being involved in the Technical Qualifications (TQs) for Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care T Level.

Annual price increase – update

City & Guilds and ILM prices for the next academic year will be increasing.

City & Guilds will no longer be a Credit Rating Body in Scotland

City & Guilds is a Regulated Awarding Organisation working across the UK. It also operates in Scotland as a Credit Rating Body.

City & Guilds responds to the Spring Statement

City & Guilds has responded to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement, which he made in the House of Commons earlier today.

Functional Skills: from reform to reset

Hilary Gwilliam, City & Guilds Senior Category Manager, shares her experiences on rolling out reformed qualifications during the pandemic and helping to re-set delivery post-pandemic.

How fit is your business to weather The Great Resignation storm? The seven warning signs and how to respond

Dora Timar, Senior Manager of Recognitions and Frameworks, City & Guilds reflects on the Great Resignation trend and how to put into place strategies to drive staff engagement and retention.

Our annual price increase will be effective from 1 September 2022

City & Guilds and ILM are reviewing prices for the next academic year.

Annual Apprenticeship Conference 2022

Thank you for joining us at AAC this year

Great Jobs: recognising the essential jobs that keep the UK working

City & Guilds’ research finds that despite key workers seeing the nation through the pandemic, the UK’s most vital industries are being threatened by growing skills shortages, as poor reputations and concerns about low pay turn off potential new recruits.

Investing in skills to drive growth – is your organisation fit for the future?

Dora Timar, Senior Manager of Recognitions and Frameworks, City & Guilds reflects on the smartest investments businesses can make in skills to stand out, to stay relevant and to succeed.

What skills are needed for a new era in rail?

Continuing with our employer roundtable series, we took a deep dive into the rail industry and how apprenticeships could provide a solution to the ongoing skills shortage in this critical sector.

Building the Future of Construction

Drawing our employer round table series to a close for the year, we caught up with employers and panel experts in the construction industry. The experts and organisations in attendance were those who have pledged their commitment to finding innovative solutions to the challenges faced by apprentices battling to enter the construction industry.

Recruiting for Adult Care

Kate Shoesmith, Deputy CEO at the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, discusses the challenges for the Adult Care sector and the need for a co-ordinated workforce strategy for both the immediate and long term future.

Getting your apprentices EPA ready

Rebecca Hollamby, City & Guilds and ILM EPA Partnership Manager, shares her experience on how providers can best support their apprentices, so they can succeed at end-point assessment.

USA & UK employer round table – creating gender diversity through apprenticeships

In a recent round table held with a panel of employing companies committed to change in the equality, diversity and inclusion space (EDI), the question was posed at the onset of the discussion: do we have a global skills pandemic? This is particularly timely as economies across the globe are caught up in the conundrum of jobs without people, and people without jobs.

Adult learning and apprenticeships as solutions to the lack of females and an ageing workforce in the construction sector

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic took the global economy hostage, the Fourth Industrial Revolution was making a significant impact on the skills dynamic in all industries. Perhaps one of the industries hardest hit by simple industrial change – even prior to COVID-19 – is the construction industry.

Women locked out of growing sectors as the gender pay gap widens

Our Chair Dr Ann Limb CBE, reflects on Equal Pay Day 2021 – the day in which women effectively, on average, stop earning relative to men because of the gender pay gap.

City & Guilds, Winner of the End-Point Assessment Organisation of the Year award 2021

On Thursday 11 November, City & Guilds were delighted to receive the EPAO of the Year Award at the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) ceremony.

The Future of Adult Learning in Social Care

The pandemic raised the profile of the valuable contribution that the social care workforce made to the lives of many individuals.  However there remains a huge skills challenge that needs to be addressed so that sector can increase and retain its workforce. Geraldine Donworth, Industry Manager for Health Care and Childcare, explores the key issues.

Investing in the Future of Skills – Reflections on the Autumn Budget and Spending Review

With the Government’s focus on rebuilding the economy, huge investment and effort will be needed to enable people of all ages to upskill and reskill to meet the needs of employers. We reflect on the announcements from the Autumn budget and what this means for the skills landscape.

First woman appointed as Chair at City & Guilds

City & Guilds has formally welcomed the first female Chair in its 143-year history. Dr Ann Limb CBE DL takes over from Sir John Armitt who stepped down in October after nine years as chair.

Autumn Budget and Spending Review

Our CEO Kirstie Donnelly comments on the Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Autumn Budget and Spending Review

Re-skilling for the future – where are we now?

In 2020, 11 million people in the UK were furloughed, and around 800 000 more lost their jobs, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

City & Guilds and Intertrain announce the launch of the first Small Plant training programme to the Railway Industry

City & Guilds and Intertrain have announced the launch of the first Small Plant Training programme for the railway industry. The programme reduces learning hours by around 30% and incorporates online and hands-on practical training thereby lowering travel costs for participants and minimising time spent on the course away from working hours.

City & Guilds announce new accreditation partnership with The Prince’s Foundation

In recognition of their shared commitment to the preservation of heritage craft skills, City & Guilds and The Prince’s Foundation have today announced a new partnership which will see students on a variety of the charity’s training courses receive internationally recognised qualifications accredited by the global leader in skills development.

City & Guilds awarded contracts to deliver two new T Levels in Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care

City & Guilds have been awarded the contracts to deliver two new T Level qualifications in Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care, following a tender process.

First students begin studying City & Guilds Construction T Levels in England and a new suite of Level 2 Construction and Building Services Engineering qualifications in Wales in partnership with EAL

With Brexit limiting the ability to source skilled construction professionals from overseas, it will be essential to ensure large numbers of people entering the workforce possess the skills to meet this demand.

Proactive results 2021

David Phillips, MD City & Guilds said: “We would like to offer our congratulations to all of our learners and our centres today.

More young people turning to university because of post pandemic job market, despite fewer graduate jobs predicted

Our latest research finds more school leavers are turning towards university as a default choice as uncertainty in the jobs market bites.

Our annual price review will be effective from 1st September

City & Guilds and ILM continue to work hard to ensure our customers get the best value for money whilst maintaining a business that can continue to invest in the Vocational Education sector. To support that, we have reviewed our prices for the next academic year.

City & Guilds and Intertrain support the Rail Supply Group’s work pipeline pledge

City & Guilds Technical Training and Intertrain welcome the Rail Supply Group’s (RSG) ‘Work Pipeline Visibility Pledge’.

City & Guilds annual skills index 2021

This index, created in collaboration with labour market economists Emsi and the British Chambers of Commerce explores how the skills and employment landscape is transforming and examines what skills and opportunities are growing now, and in the future.

Intertrain launches industry first Traineeship pilot

Intertrain, part of the City & Guilds, is pleased to announce that they will be the first rail training provider to offer Adult Education Budget funded occupational Traineeships to support 19 – 24-year-olds across the UK. The first cohorts in London and Birmingham started on the 10th May 2021.

Annual Apprenticeships Conference 2021 – catch up on our workshops

We were delighted to be the headline partner once again for this year’s Annual Apprenticeship Conference.

City & Guilds statement on the announcement of the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke was appointed President of the City and Guilds of London Institute in 1952 and supported the work of the Institute for over 60 years.

Customer minimum spend threshold policy review

City & Guilds and ILM have an annual minimum spend threshold that is reviewed each year. As we entered the pandemic, and our industry adjusted to online learning and assessment, we took the decision to not apply our minimum spend requirement between September 2019 and August 2020.

Digital Switch: City & Guilds launches course to help people change careers to UK’s thriving digital industry

City & Guilds has launched a brand new course to help people that work in industries impacted by Covid-19 - especially younger generations whose job prospects have been affected the most - to understand the skills needed for a new career in digital.

Covid-19 must not set the clock back on gender equality in the workplace

City & Guilds calls on employers to prioritise flexibility and training opportunities to avoid fuelling gender inequality during pandemic

Update on 2021 assessments

Level 2 Attainment report

The UK Government is currently reviewing the future of level 2 and below qualifications in the further education sector.

Building bridges towards future jobs

The Great Covid Career Pivot: A third of Britons want to switch careers, but many have no idea where to start.

In the driving seat for EPA success

West Suffolk College discuss their journey on moving from apprenticeship frameworks to standards.

Learning during change

Looking back on the year we have learnt so much. I would like to share some of our keys thoughts and insights with you as we forward to a new year

City & Guilds opens temporary Functional Skills assessment centres

Learners will be supported with discounted coach travel from National Express

Engineering and the Green Economy Webinar: Follow up report

With unique insights from industry our guests' explained how companies, jobs and workplaces are evolving

Engineering and the Green Economy Webinar: Follow up report

With unique insights from industry our guests' explained how companies, jobs and workplaces are evolving

UK rail industry faces critical skills shortage by 2025 – putting success of major new projects at risk

New research by City & Guilds and the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) paints a stark picture for the future of the rail workforce, with skills shortages set to escalate significantly in the sector over the next five years.

Funding withdrawal update for Post-16 qualifications

ESFA are removing public funding from a number of qualifications that have had no take up over the last 3 years through the ESFA funding route.

Office closures across the holiday period

The offices will be closed during the festive holiday

Government urged to give regions greater power over skills and employment or risk ‘levelling down’ the chances of millions

New report warns top down approach to recovery puts UK economy at risk and calls for increased devolution to address challenges that lie ahead

Important updates for Functional Skills and End-Point Assessment

On 14 October 2020 it was confirmed that extensions to Legacy Functional Skills would be put in place to 31 July 2021. The temporary suspension of the rule requiring level 2 apprentices to study towards, and attempt, level 2 functional skills exams to 31 March 2021 was also confirmed.

City & Guilds introduce a new digital learning solution: Portfolio Plus

City & Guilds has launched Portfolio Plus – a new digital learning solution to support remote AEB delivery.

City & Guilds appoints Anthony Impey MBE as Chair of its Industry Skills Board

City & Guilds has appointed Anthony Impey MBE as the new Chair of its Industry Skills Board (ISB).

City & Guilds and EAL win contract to deliver all three routes in engineering and manufacturing

City & Guilds in collaboration with specialist engineering awarding organisation EAL, were awarded the contracts to deliver three engineering and manufacturing T Levels, following a tender process.

Helping apprentices achieve EPA success during Covid-19

Poole based private training provider Locomotivation Training have been on a digitalisation drive since 2017. They spoke to us on how they supported their apprentices over the summer through whilst working remotely.

City & Guilds joins forces with FutureLearn to help unemployed into new careers

City & Guilds has partnered with the leading social learning platform FutureLearn, to turn the tide on unemployment in the UK and help individuals who work in industries impacted by Covid-19 to reskill and switch careers into growing industries or those facing labour shortages.

Comprehensive Spending Review

Our submission Reskilling Britain for a brighter future calls for £60 million investment over 3 years, creating a network of Employment and Training Hubs across the UK to fast track re-employment of adults displaced by Covid-19 and build lasting infrastructure for continuous improvement of UK workforce resilience and productivity.

Updated 28 August - DfE, FAB and Ofqual joint statement on reissued results

We want to say congratulations to everyone who received their vocational and technical qualifications results this month. You should all be very proud of your achievements and looking forward to taking your next steps.

Update 24 August, 2020 – Joint statement from Department for Education, Ofqual and FAB

Important information regarding vocational results

Recovery and Resilience

City & Guilds calls for urgent action from Government to redirect skills funding to help people back into employment.

Our annual price review will be effective from 1st September

City & Guilds and ILM continue to work hard to ensure our customers get the best value for money whilst maintaining a business that can continue to invest in the Vocational Education sector. To support that, we’re busy reviewing our prices for the next academic year.

Guidance and advice regarding coronavirus

Important announcement regarding coronavirus

Guidance to EPA Providers on EPA event scheduling and delivery – impact of coronavirus

Important announcement for EPA providers

Exeter College

The City of Exeter is only 1 of 7 cities in the UK to increase their apprenticeship starts between 2015/2016 and 2017/18.

The Maths and English T Levels opportunity

With only a few months to go until the first T Levels are delivered and become a new technical alternative for 16-18 year olds, there are still concerns about the implementation of the new two-year programme.

Stamp out the stigma around apprenticeships

New research finds adults living in England think apprenticeships trump university for skills development and value for money. Yet, a majority would still choose university as a route to upskill.

Missing Millions

Undertrained, underemployed and unprepared: the UK is squandering the potential of millions of workers.

Building the talent pipeline in Saudi Arabia

We conducted an online survey in partnership with Changeboard Magazine Middle East with 516 Saudi Arabian employers, along with a small number of face-to-face interviews.

City & Guilds to cease delivery of all Veterinary Nursing qualifications for Small Animal (7457-03/33) and Equine (7457-13/43)

City & Guilds wins £12m project in Jamaica

City & Guilds have just won a £12m(GBP) contract to deliver a number of different qualifications in Jamaica over a 10 year period.

City & Guilds acquires largest UK railway training provider, Intertrain

City & Guilds, a leader in demand-led skills development, has today announced the acquisition of Intertrain, one of the UK’s leading training providers for railway infrastructure.

City & Guilds awarded contract to deliver Construction T Level qualifications

We have been awarded the contract to deliver two T Level qualifications under the Construction route: in Building Services Engineering and On-Site Construction.

Close the Gap

Proposing a map for UK Technical and Skills Education to 2024 and beyond.

City & Guilds funding update

Guidelines have been released for centres delivering pre-existing nested qualifications.

City & Guilds funding update

The Department for Education (DfE) and Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) recently announced their plans to remove funding from several of our pre-existing legacy qualifications.

City & Guilds response to the Department for Education’s review of Post-16 qualifications at level 3

Qualifications at every level have value. They are able to transform lives – from the offender who is able to achieve his or her first entry level qualification and break the cycle...

Major reform of qualifications in Construction and the Built Environment sector in Wales

A ground-breaking change to qualifications for people planning to work in the Construction and Built Environment sector in Wales has been announced.

Learning and development not meeting needs of global workforce

New research published today by City & Guilds, the leading global skills organisation, reveals that while employees around the world have a strong appetite for learning, they are inhibited by a lack of accessible, appropriate and engaging training opportunities.

Sense & Instability 2019

In our latest research report, Sense & Instability we call on the Government to urgently rethink how skills and education policy in the UK is designed and delivered.

New qualification checking system launched by ECS and City & Guilds

A specially-designed computer programme that allows qualifications to be automatically verified during an ECS card application has been developed by the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme and City & Guilds.

Our annual price review will be effective from 1st September

City & Guilds and ILM continue to work hard to ensure our customers get the best value for money whilst maintaining a business that can continue to invest in the Vocational Education sector. To support that, we’re busy reviewing our prices for the next academic year.

The languishing Levy pot: Accessing unspent apprenticeship funds

Almost two years after the apprenticeship levy was implemented, apprenticeship start figures continue to decline in overall terms and questions remain around the ways in which the funds collected by the Government are being spent.

The LearningNext campaign is all about recognising that learning never stops, and that developing new skills and capabilities is something that should last a lifetime

We want to challenge the myth that qualifications and learning are limited to schools and universities, and demonstrate that whether you are a learner, employer, policymaker, or training provider, we all have a part to play in getting learning at the heart of what we do.

Maximising Apprenticeships in Wales

The ‘Maximising the Value of Apprenticeships to Wales’ report released in January offers fresh ideas and a new momentum to the debate about how Wales might provide an exemplary apprenticeships system.

Can your learners prove their compliance with standards and regulations in one click?

For the first time, an internationally recognised City & Guilds Certificate in 18th Edition Wiring Regulations is accompanied by a verifiable Digital Credential.