This year the Princess Royal Training Awards celebrated their eleventh year, and the programme continued to go from strength to strength, with 132 applications received from organisations committed to delivering exceptional learning and development.
Delivered by the City & Guilds Foundation, the Awards remain a unique, evidence-based programme that recognises and celebrates the strategic impact of learning, development and training within organisations. Applicants must demonstrate excellence against three Hallmarks of Excellence, evidencing why training was chosen to address an organisational challenge, how it was implemented and the impact it had on both the organisation and its people.
Reflecting the increasingly global nature of workforces and training provision, this year we expanded their eligibility criteria to include organisations delivering training both within the UK and Ireland, and internationally. This development recognises the contribution of organisations with overseas operations that had previously been unable to participate.
The Awards form part of our wider charitable mission to champion skills as a driver of social change.
Maintaining excellence through expert assessment
A defining feature of the Awards is the robustness of its assessment process. In 2026, applications were once again assessed by an experienced team of independent professional Assessors.
As interest in the Awards has grown since their launch in 2016, so too has the assessor network. The Foundation has consciously recruited previous Princess Royal Training Award recipients as Assessors, bringing not only professional expertise but also valuable insight gained through their own experience of the Awards process.
The Application Review Process (ARP), the second stage of the rigorous two-stage judging process, remains central to ensuring the integrity and quality of the Awards. During ARP visits, Assessors explore applications in greater depth, ensuring that all three Hallmarks of Excellence have been fully demonstrated.
Welcoming a new generation of Ambassadors
In 2026, the Foundation expanded the ambassador programme supporting ARP visits, welcoming Princess Royal Training Award alumni, members of CGLI Council and recipients of the Foundation’s Membership Awards.
The response was overwhelmingly positive, with volunteers giving their time and expertise to support the process. Ambassadors accompany Assessors during ARP visits, providing additional perspectives and helping to capture insights from the shortlisted organisations.
The enthusiasm of the new ambassador cohort was evident from the outset, and Assessors consistently reported highly positive experiences working alongside them.
Bringing diverse perspectives
For many Ambassadors, participating in the ARP process provided a unique opportunity to witness first-hand the power and quality of workplace learning.
Reflecting on his experience as a first-time Ambassador, Council member Dinesh Visavadia described the privilege of participating in visits across a range of sectors.
“It was amazing to hear of the strategic objectives underlying each of the visits. I was taken aback by the creativity of the people who delivered them. From managing directors to apprentices, everyone spoke enthusiastically about the opportunities and how these programmes had made a huge difference in their personal lives.”
Dinesh also highlighted the focus on training of individuals who may not have thrived in traditional educational settings and the impact it’s making back to the organisation.
“It was refreshing to be part of the Awards as it gave me insight into how organisations are valuing people by giving them life-changing skills, especially those who found school was not for them.”
For previous Award recipients, serving as Ambassadors offers an opportunity to give back to a programme that has already benefited their own organisations.
James Godber, senior learning and development officer at Medical Defence Union – which achieved an Award in 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2024 – explained:
“I genuinely believe in the transformative effect of training on organisations and was keen to see how other organisations are responding to challenges through evolving their talent.”
Drawing on his own experience of receiving a Princess Royal Training Award, James recognised the broader value that the Awards bring.
“For new staff, the Award offers reassurance that an organisation has training and development at the heart of its culture. For external stakeholders, it sends a clear signal that quality through people is a key factor in success.”
His experience as an Ambassador reinforced the strategic value of workforce development.
“I saw organisations where embedding training into the culture both saved money and improved efficiency in meeting business objectives.”
Similarly, Council member and Clothworkers Livery representative, Geoffrey Gestetner participated in the ARP visit to gain a deeper understanding of the assessment process and standards required to achieve recognition.
“I was impressed with the huge level of detail that the Assessor covered and the eagerness of the organisation to learn from both the visit and the process of preparing its entry. They saw the Award not simply as a mark of performance, but as a tool to improve their business.”
Strengthening the future of the Awards
The continued success of the Princess Royal Training Awards is built not only on the exceptional organisations that apply, but also on the dedication and expertise of the many stakeholders who support the programme’s delivery.
By bringing together independent Assessors, Award alumni, Foundation Council members and the wider City & Guilds Foundation community, the Awards continue to maintain the rigorous standards that have become their own hallmark over the past eleven years.
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