Recognising people, who help others to access and achieve skills

In March 2024, the Foundation launched the Membership Awards to celebrate exceptional tutors and trainers across the UK and Ireland who go above and beyond in delivering impactful skills training. Fifteen individuals received the Award and were celebrated at a ceremony in March 2025. The impact has been clear: 80% of awardees reported increased recognition within their organisation or sector, and 80% said the Award had boosted their professional confidence. Nearly all felt a stronger connection to the City & Guilds community, with 90% saying it strengthened their sense of pride, and 70% feeling encouraged to pursue further learning or development.

Alison Drew from St Giles Trust delivers professional Advice and Guidance training in prisons, drawing on a lifetime of experience supporting disadvantaged people, particularly women in custody. Since joining St Giles Trust, seven of her trainees have progressed into employment within the organisation. Her work is widely respected for its credibility and life-changing impact among learners and stakeholders.

Colin Smith from Learning Curve Group leads on Data Analysis apprenticeships, delivering exceptional outcomes for learners including five British Computer Society Award winners. Recognised as an inventive educator, he also specialises in training visually impaired learners and plays a key role in supporting their confidence, progression, and sector recognition.

Raquel Noboa founded Fifty Shades Greener to deliver sustainability education across schools, industry, and public sector organisations. Her training has a national reach and now informs Irish government policy. Despite holding no formal teaching qualifications, she has developed a global model for climate literacy rooted in practical, measurable change.

Celebrating skills-driven organisations

Since its launch in 2016, the Princess Royal Training Awards have stood as a beacon of excellence in learning and development. 2025 marked the tenth anniversary of the Princess Royal Training Awards, a significant milestone in recognising the transformative power of highquality training and celebrating organisations that invest in developing their people.

471 Awards have been granted to 306 unique organisations across the UK and Ireland to date. Collectively, these organisations represent a workforce of approximately 3 million people – nearly 9% of the total UK workforce (City & Guilds, 2025). In 10 years, over 900,000 people have been trained across the awarded programmes.

In 2025, a record 57 Awards were achieved – the highest number in a single year, highlighting the continued relevance and value of training investment across all sectors and organisation sizes.

Award recipients range from micro-enterprises and charities to global employers, with 44% employing over 1,000 staff and 34% classed as small or medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 250 employees. The most common training focuses have been upskilling (30%); apprenticeships (14%); talent pipelines (12%); customer service and digital skills; and there has been a strong growth in training related to mental health, wellbeing, and sustainability.

The Awards are grounded in evidence and assessing excellence, making them a visible marker of quality and social value for recipients.

Nearly three-quarters (74%) reported that achieving the Award helped their organisations better demonstrate the value of learning and development to internal stakeholders, while 91% said the Awards supported their organisation’s commitment to social value. The high standard of the Award has led to increased investment in L&D programmes (69%), and the creation of new approaches, policies and practices (76%) for recipients.

Princess Royal Training Award-winning programmes are also, crucially, delivering tangible benefits for their organisations through the training they deliver:

• 93% report increased staff engagement and wellbeing
• 86% report improvements in productivity
• 83% report improved staff retention
• 30% saw internal promotions linked to training
• Positive shifts in customer satisfaction, service delivery, and Net Promoter Scores are widely observed.

In addition, 22% of recipients quantify revenue growth and £62.1 million in total savings reported across 49 recipients, as a result.

The transformative power of exceptional training is evident;

The National Theatre’s (NT) apprenticeship programme has transformed access to backstage careers by removing barriers and prioritising potential over prior experience. Since 2012, over 60 apprentices, 70% from underrepresented groups, have trained across 17 departments, with 90% progressing into sustained employment. NT reports that achieving the Princess Royal Training Award has validated its inclusive skills development and confirmed its leadership in equity and innovation. The Award has amplified its role in shaping a diverse, skilled workforce for the creative industries, both now and for the future

Eyres Monsell Primary School’s Spotlight Programme tackled teacher wellbeing head on. Based in an area of high deprivation, the school saw stress related absences drop to zero and pupil attainment rise from 14% to 74%. Staff retention improved, and the Award validated its commitment to wellbeing focused training. The school is now recognised as a sector leader in supporting teacher resilience.

To meet growth plans and tackle gender imbalance, G4S launched its Next Level Leadership programme, focused on preparing managers for General Manager roles. Since implementation, over half of UK participants have been promoted, and female GM representation has increased from 20% to 31%. Being awarded the Princess Royal Training Award in 2024 has highlighted G4S’s commitment to inclusive leadership development and confirmed that the organisation has built a resilient internal pipeline. The Award has given formal recognition to the calibre of their training, demonstrating to clients and stakeholders that G4S has the leadership capacity to meet future demand.

As the Awards enter their second decade, the focus is on growing their reach, showcasing innovation in delivery, and championing inclusive, forward-looking approaches to workforce development. With digital tools reshaping how people access learning and employers facing shifting workforce challenges, the Awards seek to remain a vital platform for sharing what works and recognising those who are investing in people and building skills for the future.

Honouring those who have delivered a lasting legacy in skills and society

In the past five years, the Foundation appointed 50 new Fellows to the City and Guilds of London Institute Fellowship, the highest honour awarded by the Institute since its founding in 1878, recognising individuals who have made exceptional contributions to their industries and communities, and who demonstrate a lasting commitment to skills development and inclusive leadership.

This year’s Fellows include leaders from fields such as education, engineering, business and heritage crafts. They join a growing network of approximately 450 Fellows, collectively championing excellence in skills and lifelong learning across the UK and beyond.

Dr Mark Richards: A chemist and physicist, Mark is Senior Teaching Fellow and Director of Outreach at Imperial College London. He co-founded Duvas Technologies and has developed outreach programmes targeting underrepresented groups in STEM, especially young women and learners from BAME communities. He won multiple equality awards at Imperial College.

Annie Warburton: Chief Executive and first female Clerk of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in their 697-year history, Annie previously led Cockpit Studios. She has led national initiatives to support craft skills including chairing the expert panel for the Department for Education’s Craft & Design T Level and is a regular lecturer and broadcaster on craft and design.

Paul Robertson: With over 40 years in HR and skills development, Paul was the first Chief Assessor of the Princess Royal Training Awards and helped establish the National Apprenticeship Awards. He now oversees quality assurance of training at scale and has supported the development of half a million individuals.