Delivering CSR and ESG through skills

Customers and employees expect businesses to align with their values – does yours?

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) aren’t just ethical choices your business should be seen to be taking. They’re strategic imperatives. With organisations under increased pressure to demonstrate measurable impact and commitment to their environmental, social and economic responsibilities, investing in employees’ skills development is a meaningful way in which those organisations can achieve their CSR and ESG objectives. 

This article distils insights from our 2024 webinar on CSR and ESG, featuring Shell, IBM and RockCorps, and also includes follow-up interviews with experts from across the City & Guilds portfolio of brands. Together, we take a closer look at the importance of CSR and ESG, how leaders in organisations should tackle their relevant skills development obligations, and why organisations are choosing City & Guilds to ensure they meet their CSR and ESG goals. 

CSR & ESG: why they matter now more than ever

The rise of the conscious business, accelerated by the pandemic and global movements, has reshaped expectations. Consumers are choosing brands that align with their values, with 34% having stopped purchasing from companies that presented them with ethical or sustainability concerns. Meanwhile, 75% of Gen Z and Millennials say that community engagement and societal impact are key factors when choosing an employer. 

Organisations are responding by embedding CSR and ESG into their operations. The benefits of doing so include attracting talent, retaining customers and future-proofing their businesses.

How skills development can support your CSR and ESG goals

Investment in skills can be viewed as the ‘golden thread’ that runs through CSR and ESG. It can support: 

• Environmental responsibility: through green skills and sustainability training 
• Social responsibility: by enhancing employee engagement, helping to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, and community development 
• Economic responsibility: by building adaptable, future-ready workforces and quantifying investment in skills development 
• Ethical responsibility: through ethical leadership, fairness and equality 
• Stakeholder engagement: enhancing reputation and building trust with stakeholders, including customers, investors and regulators. 

The critical role of leaders

Maggie Matthews, Account Director at The Oxford Group, a part of City & Guilds, points out that ‘All of our clients have CSR and ESG agendas, and of course, there’s a moral driver too: doing good is good business.’ 

For The Oxford Group, this means integrating these agendas into bespoke leadership programmes for organisations and helping leaders understand what these principles mean for their day-to-day behaviours and decision-making.

Leadership development plays a critical role in embedding CSR and ESG values within organisations. Maggie notes, ‘Part of a leader’s role is to represent an organisation on those specific areas. We help them understand what that might mean for them on a day-to-day basis in terms of their behaviour as a leader.’

This often involves aligning leadership competency frameworks with ESG priorities and creating learning scenarios that directly address these agendas. For example, programmes may include projects with charities or not-for-profit organisations, giving leaders the chance to develop skills while delivering social impact.

Finally, Maggie stresses that genuine commitment from leaders is essential: ‘Leaders need to bring CSR and ESG to life, to storytell and communicate both how it works and why it is important.’ 

What should organisations consider when it comes to skills development for CSR/ESG?

Holly Brown, Strategic Projects Lead at City & Guilds Training, shares her thoughts on the top three things that organisations should think about regarding skills development for CSR/ESG. 

1. Prioritise skills development that creates measurable social value  

‘Organisations should focus on training that directly supports disadvantaged, underrepresented, or at-risk groups, such as hard-to-reach learners, carers, care leavers, prison leavers, ex-forces personnel and those facing barriers to employment,’ says Holly. 

‘Programmes should deliver tangible outcomes, such as qualifications, job readiness and sustainable employment opportunities. This not only strengthens communities but also provides clear evidence of CSR/ESG impact.’

2. Build sustainable talent pipelines through upskilling and reskilling 

‘CSR/ESG goals connect directly with long-term workforce sustainability,’ Holly continues. ‘Organisations should invest in new entrant pathways to address skills shortages, especially in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) sectors. They should also invest in upskilling and reskilling existing employees to fill higher-skilled roles and support progression.’

‘A balanced approach supports inclusive growth, improves retention and helps organisations meet future skills needs while demonstrating responsible business practice,’ she adds.

3. Align training delivery with environmental and operational ESG priorities 

‘Skills development should also contribute to environmental and organisational goals,’ says Holly as she sets out her final point. ‘This includes reducing travel and carbon emissions through local or on-site training delivery. Organisations should also choose training partners who actively monitor, report and improve their own environmental performance.’

‘It’s vital that organisations are ensuring all training and accreditation meets recognised standards, is high quality, and is designed to be scalable and sustainable,’ she adds. ‘Selecting providers with robust environmental and social impact frameworks – like City & Guilds – helps organisations ensure their training activity supports net-zero ambitions, community impact and high-quality outcomes.’ 

Why choose City & Guilds when it comes to meeting your CSR/ESG goals?

According to Nick Richards, Head of Sales at City & Guilds Training, ‘organisations choose City & Guilds to support their CSR/ESG goals because we provide a comprehensive, end-to-end training solution that directly aligns with social value priorities. We act as a true and trusted “one-stop shop,” offering high-quality training, recognised qualifications and ongoing support, which helps organisations meet both compliance requirements and wider social impact commitments.’  

Nick goes on to add that ‘our commitment to delivering high-quality apprenticeship training enables customers to meet their contractual targets for the recruitment, development and employment of apprentices. It ensures they can attract new talent, build capability and demonstrate measurable progress against their workforce and social value obligations.’  

‘We actively engage customers in conversations about our social impact framework,’ he continues, ‘demonstrating how our work supports people, organisations and society. By partnering with City & Guilds, organisations can reliably evidence progress against their CSR/ESG targets while contributing to meaningful social good.’ 

The proof: CSR & ESG boosted by skills training

Skills training can – and does – help organisations to meet their CSR and ESG objectives. And here’s the proof. We spoke to three organisations who have partnered with City & Guilds to successfully develop their CSR and ESG offering through skills development.  

Shell: powering energy transition commitments through skills

Shell have made the commitment to help 15,000 people in the UK into jobs with them by 2035, with a focus on the field of energy transition. Louka Travlos, Senior Advisor, Social Impact at Shell, explained that ‘Jobs and skills are a tangible way to deliver CSR. It’s not just about operational impact. It’s about proactively investing in people and communities.’ 

Shell partnered with City & Guilds to co-develop an EV upskilling qualification for electricians, addressing a critical green skills gap. The pilot, delivered through colleges across London, was so successful that it’s since been rolled out across the UK. Shell also works with colleges and startups to build a robust skills ecosystem and uses impact dashboards to track outcomes – which include over 2,000 learners trained and more than 600 supported into jobs. 

IBM: championing skills-first inclusion

IBM’s global CSR mission is to upskill 30 million people by 2030 – including 2 million people trained in AI by 2026. In the UK, Vikki Bradney-Spencer is IBM’s Corporate Social Responsibility Leader and a driving force behind IBM SkillsBuild, a free learning platform offering digital and tech career pathways.  

IBM partnered with City & Guilds to create short, accessible courses and thousands of learners are already engaging in AI and cybersecurity training. Vikki pointed out that ‘We’re championing a skills-first approach – not just degrees. It’s about opening up opportunities for people who are skilled through alternative routes.’ 

RockCorps: connecting youth to skills and purpose

RockCorps, through its Apprentice Nation programme, uses music and culture to inspire young people to engage with apprenticeship opportunities. As Alex Kenmure, Head of Partnerships at RockCorps explained, ‘We know there’s a ladder – but some young people can’t even reach it. Skills development is about building that bridge and helping them shape their future.’

With validation of their work-ready and youth advisor programmes through City & Guilds Assured, RockCorps is helping young people to gain credible, recognised skills. Meanwhile, their brand partners benefit from authentic engagement and social impact. 

How City & Guilds supports you to achieve your CSR & ESG goals

With a global network of delivery partners and over 13,000 green skills certifications issued last year, City & Guilds is helping employers turn strategy into measurable impact.

Holly Brown from City & Guilds Training explains what success means for organisations who have worked with City & Guilds to meet their CSR and ESG goals. ‘Success for our customers means creating real, measurable social value that aligns with their CSR/ESG commitments’ she points out. ‘This includes enabling disadvantaged or hard-to-reach individuals to gain meaningful skills, progress into employment and improve their long-term life prospects.’  

‘Partnering with City & Guilds helps organisations demonstrate clear accountability for their social impact activity,’ continues Holly. ‘Through our Social Impact Framework, we provide transparent reporting on the outcomes achieved, showing not just how employees have been supported, but also the positive effects on the organisation itself. This includes evidence of increased workforce diversity, strengthened talent pipelines and the wider influence their actions have on other organisations.

What next?

City & Guilds supports organisations in advancing their CSR and ESG agendas through impactful skills development. Speak to one of our Skills Specialists about your goals or explore our workforce development solutions. 

Watch the webinar recording