City & Guilds has today announced that 53 training programmes are being recognised by the 2023 Princess Royal Training Awards.
Now in its eighth year, The Princess Royal Training Awards continue to recognise organisations in London, truly demonstrating exceptional commitment to learning and development. With skills shortages across the UK increasing and job vacancies doubling, creating engaging learning and development programmes to grow and retain new and existing talent has never been more crucial.
From small not-for-profit organisations to large multinational employers, the recipients of the Award continue to be refreshingly diverse and increasingly innovative in their approach to learning and development each year. Some strong themes have emerged from the programmes being awarded this year, including enhanced diversity, equity and inclusion schemes, strong management and leadership training programmes, novel and innovative ways of addressing sustainability and climate change, and accessible schemes designed to open new talent pipelines and career pathways.
Pret A Manger: well-known London based hospitality chain, receives an Award for the creation of its Pret Academy, which offers clear development pathways into the hospitality sector, as a way of developing existing employees and providing them with clear career pathways. The training, which uses a blended model and includes allergen guidance, has been undertaken by 2,847 employees and outcomes include increased safety scores, greater staff retention figures and sales exceeding targets.
Amey Plc: this leading London based, infrastructure services and engineering company, receives an Award for supporting and upskilling women into leadership roles in construction and engineering. The company developed its Women@Amey network to attract and retain women in a male-dominated industry. A leadership programme was developed, aimed at women with the potential to be leaders, and 58 women have since completed the programme with 77% being promoted. The number of women in the business has increased from 25% to 30% post programme, and the number of women in senior leadership positions has increased from 14% to 18%.
Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of City & Guilds said: “The Princess Royal Training Awards demonstrate how training and development can create opportunities and attract talent to London based industries, helping to fill significant skills gaps and labour shortages.
“It’s very positive to see that London is the region with the highest number of applications – 38 this year.
“It’s also encouraging to see such a diverse range of employers continuing to apply for a Princess Royal Training Award. Despite the obvious challenges in recent years, these employers have shown unwavering dedication to nurturing their workforce through outstanding training and skills development, resulting in a lasting positive impact.
“As skills shortages and job vacancies rise, investing in training and development can help to increase productivity and harness and retain talent for future growth. Not only is this good for business and the workforce – it is also beneficial for wider society and contributes to thriving local economies. These organisations exemplify the transformative power of investing in people, and we are honoured to celebrate their accomplishments.”
