As Interim CEO, I wanted to share a brief update on the Foundation’s progress over recent months, following the completion of the sale of the Institute’s awarding and training activities to PeopleCert. This marks an important moment for the Foundation, continuing to focus on the advancement of technical education, while taking a more strategic, long-term approach to the development of skills pathways that help address two enduring UK challenges: weak productivity and growing inequalities.
This new position gives us a valuable opportunity to think differently about how we deliver impact. Through conversations with partners across education, industry and the third sector, there is clear momentum and shared ambition to ensure more people can access, remain in and benefit from high-quality skills pathways that lead to sustainable employment.
As we continue to develop our strategy, particularly in expanding access to technical and vocational skills for those facing the greatest barriers, we remain committed to our existing work through grants, bursaries and awards. Together, these efforts will strengthen our contribution to tackling inequality, supporting employers and helping more people gain the skills they need to thrive.
We were also thrilled to be able to announce the appointment of our new Chair this week, Jessica Leigh Jones. As Chair, Jessica will help guide the Foundation through this next chapter. You can find out more about the appointment here.
Below you can read more about our work.
Mike Adamson CBE | Interim Chief Executive
Princess Royal Training Award Spotlight: Unlocking potential beyond the prison gates
What do Pret A Manger, HMRC and Liberty Kitchen have in common? They are all recipients of the Princess Royal Training Award and are all using training to open up access to skills and employment opportunities for people facing some of the greatest barriers.
Awarded in 2025, Liberty Kitchen is transforming lives through its innovative approach to rehabilitation. Working within a prison, the organisation has supported more than 150 participants to develop practical skills in food preparation, recipe creation and running a street food business. Participants are encouraged to design their own dishes, often inspired by their cultural backgrounds and personal experiences, helping to build both confidence and creativity.
The impact continues beyond release. By combining skills development with real employment opportunities, Liberty Kitchen is helping to reduce reoffending and create a more inclusive and productive society.
Last month we joined Livery Companies, tutors, trainers, apprentices and craftspeople from across the UK and Ireland for the annual Livery Company Prize Ceremony at Mansion House. The day celebrated individuals who have demonstrated exceptional impact in education, training, innovation, and craft, hosted by The Rt Hon The Lady Mayor, Dame Susan Langley DBE. Our shared history with Livery Companies and the City of London began in 1878 when sixteen Livery Companies founded the Institute to expand access to technical education. Today, that shared mission continues.
Five individuals were also presented their Fellowship Diplomas at the event, the highest honour awarded by our CGLI Council.
The fourth edition of the Neurodiversity Index has recently been launched in partnership with Professor Amanda Kirby, offering the clearest picture yet of how neurodivergent people experience work in the UK. This year’s findings highlight a growing gap between what organisations believe they are delivering and the reality of employees’ day-to-day experiences. While there is strong intent across organisations to build neuroinclusive workplaces, the systems needed to deliver this at scale are not yet in place.
The message is clear: organisations must design workplaces with neurodiversity in mind from the outset, because when people are supported to work in ways that suit them, both individuals and organisations perform better.
Following the success of the first round of our Local Community Skills Fund, we are pleased to announce that stage two is now open for applications. The fund was created to address a clear challenge across the UK: those facing the greatest barriers to work are often in communities least served by traditional skills provision.
In Spring 2025, we awarded over £230,000 to 30 locally rooted organisations, enabling them to support hundreds of individuals to rebuild confidence, develop skills and take meaningful steps towards employment. The impact has been significant: 91% of participants improved their employability or vocational skills, all those reporting experienced increased confidence and wellbeing, and 41% showed positive progression, including 81 people moving into employment and 66 into further education. These results demonstrate the power of community-led approaches to unlocking potential, and we are now looking to support even more organisations to deliver this vital work in the next phase of the fund.
Expressions of interest will close tomorrow, Friday 24 April 2026.
