City & Guilds has today announced that 47 training programmes will be recognised by the 2022 Princess Royal Training Awards.
Now in its seventh year, The Princess Royal Training Awards continue to recognise organisations truly demonstrating exceptional commitment to learning and development. With skills shortages across the UK increasing and job vacancies doubling, creating engaging learning 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 Inclusion & Diversity, quality cross-organisational apprenticeships, and access schemes designed to open up new talent pools.
One of the awarded training programmes, which contributes towards social mobility in the region, is not-for-profit London based organisation Light Foundations. Light Foundations aims to enhance individuals’ personal and professional development through training, support and mentorship. After identifying an opportunity to assist local people in finding employment, the organisation established a programme to develop the skills and work experience of ten new employees and enhance future employability. 70% of staff have now secured full time sustainable employment, with 30% still on the programme.
Coutts Bank created their winning training programme as a way of developing emotional intelligence of their staff and in turn enhancing client engagement. This private bank, which has been serving clients for over three hundred years, introduced a training programme and App to develop emotional intelligence amongst sales advisors. The programme has been central to staff development and is positively impacting on sales, client satisfaction and business performance. It is now an essential staff requirement, with refresher training also being developed and completed by several cohorts.
Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of City & Guilds said: “The Princess Royal Training Awards demonstrate how training and development can open up opportunities and attract new talent to industries with significant skills gaps and labour shortages. Yet again, this year’s recipients have shown the range and depth of learning and development that is taking place in their own organisations to shape growth and positivity, from the power of skills development to address issues such as improving diversity and inclusion, through to programmes to address the ongoing impact of climate change. It is fantastic to see this year so many organisations across London creating training solutions that contribute towards social mobility and play an integral part in supporting economic growth in this region.”
The Princess Royal Training Awards continue to support applicants to understand how to apply successfully for an award. This year saw the introduction of ‘tea and chat’ virtual drop-in sessions for applicants to ask any informal questions, along with a widening participation pilot scheme to help more diverse organisations apply. Training providers working in collaboration with employers can now be recognised when part of a successful application and previous recipients are encouraged to apply for revalidation.
