Robust oversight strenghens the whole system

The UK stands at a pivotal moment for vocational education and skills. With the government’s post-16 education and skills white paper setting out ambitious measures to close skills gaps and support economic growth, and MPs calling for urgent investment to “power growth and boost young people’s life chances”, the message is clear: skills are the engine of our economic future.

As someone who has dedicated their career to education and assessment, I understand the weight of this responsibility. Collectively, we serve more than 53,500 leading organisations (including 82 per cent of the Fortune 500), 800 government agencies, and 7,500 partners across more than 200 countries and have provided more than 5 million certifications worldwide. 

PeopleCert is the custodian for PRINCE2 and ITIL – both UK government-created global best-practice frameworks – now stewarded by PeopleCert since 2021, alongside LanguageCert, our English language certification portfolio and, of course, City & Guilds, one of Britain’s most recognised and respected names in vocational qualifications. 

This gives us both a privileged vantage point and a profound obligation to lead, which I accept personally and seriously.

The changing skills landscape

Our work with thousands of the world’s biggest employers shows us that the nature of work is transforming and at unprecedented speed. 

Employers no longer simply seek workers with static qualifications – they need adaptable individuals equipped with skills that evolve alongside technology and market demands. 

This evolution demands that learners can “upskill throughout their working life with access to short, modular courses or longer periods of training”. For awarding organisations such as City & Guilds, this isn’t simply a policy shift to accommodate – it’s a fundamental reimagining of what we do and how we do it.

The imperative to modernise

At this week’s City & Guilds leadership conference in London, I shared our vision for transformation and presented the start of our evolving roadmap for how we will meet these challenges. Our vision is clear: to build a future-ready, financially strong organisation that scales impact through people, performance, and technology, as part of an AI-enabled, innovation-led, global business.

This means embracing new technologies – particularly artificial intelligence – as enablers, not threats. AI has the potential to revolutionise how we create qualifications, deliver learning experiences, and assess competence. When deployed responsibly, it allows us to personalise learning at scale, provide faster feedback to learners, and free up educators to focus on the human elements of teaching that no algorithm can replicate.

But technology alone isn’t the answer. We must also be commercially viable, accountable and a great employer. Financial sustainability enables us to invest in innovation, attract talent, and deliver consistent impact over the long term. This is not about profit for its own sake – it’s about building the resilience to serve learners and employers for generations to come.

Putting customers at the centre

Central to our transformation is an unwavering focus on customers – the learners, employers, colleges, and training providers we serve. Every decision we make must start with their needs, with the ultimate goal of empowering people to achieve what they are capable of and enhancing the lives and careers of people.

This customer focus extends to collaboration. No single organisation can address the skills challenge alone. We are committed to being a genuine partner – listening, adapting, and co-creating solutions.

Governance, standards and accountability

In a rapidly changing landscape, learners, employers and policymakers must also have confidence in the qualifications they trust and the organisations behind them. This requires transparent governance, an absolute commitment to maintaining high standards and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

That’s precisely why we have promptly commissioned our own internal investigation into publicity raised after the sale of City & Guilds, including the individual conduct of executives, and why we will cooperate fully with the Charity Commission’s own statutory inquiry if required.

At PeopleCert, we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standard. We welcome scrutiny because we believe that robust oversight ultimately strengthens the entire system. Providers that resist transparency do a disservice to learners and undermine public trust in vocational education.

Looking ahead

The opportunities before us are immense. With the right investment, innovation and collaboration, we can build a skills system that delivers on the government’s growth mission while genuinely transforming lives. The £8.5 billion allocated for 16 to 19 programme funding in 2025-26 signals serious intent – now providers must match that ambition.

City & Guilds, with the support of PeopleCert as a global, UK-rooted partner in skilling, upskilling and reskilling – is ready to play its part: anticipating change, strengthening its role and leadership in the UK, scaling its impact globally, flying the flag for UK assessment standards throughout the world and, above all, never losing sight of the learners and employers it exists to serve.