"With all my skills combined, my work now has a purpose." 🌍
For Biljana, a career pivot into the green sector started with a desire to make a real-world difference.
This , Biljana’s proves that combining existing talents with green skills is the key to driving true environmental change.
With a background in graphic design and digital marketing, Biljana's journey into sustainability began through volunteering. To turn her passion into a career, she upskilled with City & Guilds through vital support from Greenworks academy and National Energy Action (NEA)—mastering home energy efficiency, retrofit measures, and fuel poverty solutions.
"I wanted my work to actually mean something... I can now have a direct impact on improving my community's wellbeing and contributing to the UK achieving net zero."
We thank Biljana for sharing her inspiring story. Stay tuned for more stories in our series!
City & Guilds
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The global skills partner dedicated to advancing the skills that people, organisations, and societies need to thrive for almost 150 years. #SkillsChangeLives
A City & Guilds Group Business. Founded in 1878 to establish a national system of technical education. Our earliest exams ranged from cotton manufacture and steel manufacture to wool dyeing, telegraphy and qualitative blowpipe analysis - all relevant qualifications of the day. Today we create vocational qualifications that help learners to gain the skills employers value, now and with a view to th
20/05/2026
Think you’re “not a numbers person”? You’re not alone. According to a YouGov Survey commissioned by National Numeracy:
- 1 in 3 UK adults say they are not a "numbers person" 📊
- 18% feel anxious about maths 📉
Poor numeracy and low confidence with numbers currently costs the UK economy up to £25 billion a year and deters people from applying for jobs, with 26% saying they would be put off from applying for jobs involving numbers or data.
This is why we are once again supporting National Numeracy Day. Building number confidence strengthens individual opportunities and builds resilience in communities. We’re committed to working with organisations like National Numeracy to help more people build the skills that help them move forward with confidence.
Find out more here 👉 https://www.cityandguilds.com/news/may-2026/national-numeracy-day-2026?utm_medium=organic_social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=functional_skills&utm_content=national_numeracy_day
Skills: The Heart of Apprenticeships
As so many eyes focus on construction this week, you may recall that South Staffordshire College took home the People's Choice Award during our Showcase Challenge! 🏆
Today, we are highlighting a terrific entry from a different team. This impressive submission caught the eye of one of our judges, Jason Howe.
Watch this video from Owen Bradley, a Level 2 Bricklaying Apprentice, who describes the intricate work his team undertook. Using traditional bricks and tools, they demonstrated the skill and precision required to create a professional cavity wall. 🧱
👉 Check out the other entries via the link below: https://ow.ly/Oru350YXMRE
‘I’ve never seen myself as the most academic’, explains Alice, a learner at College. Alice began her & Guilds Joinery Apprenticeship at nineteen and felt that hands-on training suited her best. 🔨🪟
With the support of her employers and tutors, with practical style learning, she thrived in the joinery workshop.
Now, Alice specialises in making windows and doors and loves the job satisfaction of seeing the finished product.
Alice is a great example of how , demonstrating that with the right support and willingness to try new things, it can open opportunities to a fulfilling career. 💼
Find out more about our apprenticeship offering here🔗 https://www.cityandguilds.com/apprenticeships
30/04/2026
Productivity isn’t just about working harder, it’s about working smarter with the right tools and training. 🛠️
As we look toward the future of the UK economy, the link between high-level skills and economic output has never been clearer. Two years ago, our Productivity Report outlined the roadmap for growth. Today, those recommendations are more relevant than ever.
From strengthening the "missing middle" to rethinking how we budget for education, we are exploring the insights that will unlock the UK’s true potential.
Swipe through to see what leaders in finance, society, and tech have to say about the productivity puzzle. ➡️
Read the report: https://ow.ly/O95H50YSj1n
‘We must work together with awarding bodies to make sure courses are fit for purpose’👩🏫
At this year's Apprenticeships and Training Conference, City & Guilds Partnership Manager, Morice Hole, led an engineering-specific workshop to help providers explore the ongoing reforms and prepare for future changes within the sector.
Lynn Borthwick, Head of School for Green Technologies and Logistics, and Robert Marshall-Slater, Head of Apprenticeships at the City of Liverpool College, discussed the ways we can work with employers to improve the suitability of courses.
- Working together with awarding bodies will help make sure the courses are fit for purpose - Adopting new qualifications will guarantee that resources are correct and up to date
- The student cohort must be aligned to the correct courses, so teachers are confident to deliver to them
We continue to work closely with providers, employers and policymakers to navigate the reforms and help shape the future of engineering skills, ensuring qualifications remain relevant and high-quality. ⚒️
Click here to find out more about the reforms 🔗 https://www.cityandguilds.com/apprenticeships/apprenticeship-assessment?utm_medium=organic_social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=atc_reform&utm_content=social_video
17/04/2026
What does good mental wellbeing practice actually look like?
And more importantly – how can you deliver it with real impact?
Join our upcoming webinar to explore how training providers can confidently deliver the Level 2 Award in Supporting Wellbeing and Mental Health of Self and Others.
In this session, you’ll gain:
✨ A clear understanding of effective wellbeing & safeguarding practice
🧠 Insight into why wellbeing matters for learners and staff
📝 The thinking behind the qualification
💪 Practical ways to deliver with confidence and impact
📅 Tuesday 21 April
🕑 2:00 - 3:00p.m (GMT)
Build confidence. Strengthen your approach. Make a difference. ✨
Register here: 🔗 https://ow.ly/UAHL50YLctC
13/04/2026
Recently, City & Guilds joined the Isle of Man Prison to celebrate the opening of the Ellan Vannin Skills Centre.
We are proud to have long supported the development of the Skills Centre. Now, as a City & Guilds-approved centre, City & Guilds vocational courses are delivered to prisoners with one aim: to give practical, employable skills that can make a real difference in the community.
The Skills Centre offers courses such as bricklaying and plumbing with the support and donations of materials from suppliers and merchants. With the construction industry facing skills shortages, the programme also works alongside employers and organisations to provide work experience and create real pathways to employment.
We know that skills change lives, and we look forward to this continued partnership to help prisoners take steps towards their own rehabilitation and a brighter future upon release.
Isle of Man Government
02/04/2026
From workshop welder to WorldSkills electrical finalist! 🔌
Beginning his career as a welder, Will didn’t jump straight into an apprenticeship from school.
He later discovered electrical work and started his apprenticeship, soon realising the weight of City & Guilds credentials.
As Will explains, “because it’s so widely known, people think he must be good because he’s done City & Guilds.”
Training weekly at Blackburn College, encouraged by his tutor, Kev, Will entered SkillELECTRIC, winning his heat and securing his place as a national finalist at WorldSkills UK.
From mastering inspection and testing to building expertise in solar PV installations, Will is proof that apprenticeships open doors and develop careers. 🪜
To find out more about City & Guilds industry-recognised electrical programmes, visit https://www.cityandguilds.com/qualifications-and-apprenticeships/building-services-industry =uk 🔗
Inside Apprenticeships 🔎 | Part 4
Is an apprenticeship really worth it financially? 💰
While many University students finish their degrees with over £53,000 in debt, an apprenticeship takes a different path.
Apprentices don’t pay tuition fees, and they earn a salary, so from day one, apprentices are:
- Building real job ready skills
- Earning a wage as they learn
- Gaining hands-on experience in the workplace
An apprenticeship is a great alternative choice to the traditional university route.
To find out more about our apprenticeship offering, visit https://www.cityandguilds.com/en/apprenticeships 🔗
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