The City and Guilds of London Institute is an educational organisation in the United Kingdom. Founded on 11 November 1878 by the City of London and 16 livery companies to develop a national system of technical education, the institute has been operating under

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...

, granted by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

, since 1900. The

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

, later

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

, was appointed the first president of the institute. The City and Guilds of London Institute is also a

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...

and is the awarding body for City & Guilds and ILM qualifications, offering many accredited qualifications mapped onto the

Regulated Qualifications Framework The national qualification frameworks in the United Kingdom are qualifications frameworks that define and link the levels and credit values of different qualifications. The current frameworks are: * The Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) for ...

. The institute's president is the Princess Royal who accepted this role in June 2011 (following her father the

Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not produc ...

, who held the position for nearly 60 years), and the Chair of Council is Dame

Ann Limb Dame Ann Geraldine Limb (born 13 February 1953) is a British educationalist, business leader, charity chair and philanthropist. In September 2015, she became the first woman Chair of The Scout Association since the organization was founded by Rob ...

, who took office in 2021. City & Guilds is composed of a number of businesses including ILM, Kineo, The Oxford Group, Digitalme, and Gen2.

History

A meeting of 16 of the City of London's livery companies in 1876 led to the foundation of the City and Guilds of London Institute for the Advancement of Technical Education (CGLI), which aimed to improve the training of

craftsmen Craftsman may refer to: A profession *Artisan, a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative * Master craftsman, an artisan who has achieved such a standard that he may establish his own workshop and take ...

, engineering technicians,

engineering technologist An engineering technologist is a professional trained in certain aspects of development and implementation of a respective area of technology. Engineering technology education is even more applied and less theoretical than engineering education ...

s, and professional engineers. The two main objectives were to create a Central Institution in London and to conduct a system of qualifying examinations in technical subjects. Unable at once to find a large enough site within the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

for their Central Institution, the CGLI occupied a building on land alongside Exhibition Road in South Kensington, although its headquarters were in Gresham College in the City. At the time

John Watney Sir John Watney (27 January 1834 – 25 March 1923), a member of the Watney family, was Honorary Secretary of the City and Guilds, City and Guilds of London Institute for the Advancement of Technical Education from 1878 to 1920 and Chairman of Co ...

was both secretary to the Gresham Committee and the CGLI. Evening classes were offered at a school on Cowper Street, off City Road, enabling instruction in chemistry and physics to be provided to those who wished to continue their education after working during the day. The school proved such a success that new premises had to be found in nearby Leonard Street, which was formally opened on 19 February 1893 as Finsbury Technical College. The institute's director at the time was Sir Philip Magnus, later University MP. Finsbury College was intended as the first of a number of feeder colleges for the Central Institution but was almost the only one founded. Finsbury College continued its separate existence until 1926. The

City & Guilds of London Art School Founded in 1854 as the Lambeth School of Art, the City and Guilds of London Art School is a small specialist art college located in central London, England. Originally founded as a government art school, it is now an independent, not-for-profit ...

was established in 1854, as one of the first Government Schools of Design, in

Kennington Kennington is a district in south London, England. It is mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, running along the boundary with the London Borough of Southwark, a boundary which can be discerned from the early medieval period between the ...

, south London. It was originally named Lambeth School of Art and was set up to provide training in carving, modelling, and architectural decoration. In 1879 the art school began a close working relationship with the City and Guilds Institute. This lasted until 1971 when the art school became an independent charity. The art school focuses on undergraduate and postgraduate study of fine art, stone, and wood carving, and the conservation of three-dimensional cultural artefacts, books, and paper. The City and Guilds Institute maintains a link with the art school through its charitable grant support of projects delivering Widening Participation activity. Since 2015, the City & Guilds Group has moved back into delivering training as well as offering qualifications. This was originally through its acquisition of the Oxford Group but has since included the acquisition of Adelaide-based e3Learning, an Australian corporate e-learning and compliance provider, and the Cumbrian-based specialist nuclear industry training provider Gen2.

City and Guilds College

Faced with their continuing inability to find a substantial site, the companies were eventually persuaded by the secretary of the Science and Art Department, General Sir John Donnelly (who was also a

Royal Engineer The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

) to found their institution on the 87-acre (350,000 m²) site at

South Kensington South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris, is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with ...

bought by the 1851 Exhibition Commissioners (for £342,500) for 'purposes of art and science' in perpetuity. The Central Technical College building was designed by

Alfred Waterhouse Alfred Waterhouse (19 July 1830 – 22 August 1905) was an English architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, although he designed using other architectural styles as well. He is perhaps best known f ...

, better known as the architect of the Natural History Museum. Located adjacent to the Central Institute on the site were the

Royal School of Mines The Royal School of Mines comprises the departments of Earth Science and Engineering, and Materials at Imperial College London. The Centre for Advanced Structural Ceramics and parts of the London Centre for Nanotechnology and Department of Bioe ...

and the Royal College of Science. In 1907, the latter two colleges were incorporated by royal charter into the Imperial College of Science and Technology, and the CGLI Central Technical College was renamed the City and Guilds College in 1907, but not incorporated into Imperial College until 1910. Although the City and Guilds College was for much of its life governed through

Imperial College Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

, the City and Guilds Institute, together with a number of livery companies in their own right, maintained seats on the governing body (the Court) of Imperial College until its reorganisation in 2002. In 2002, under Imperial College's new faculty structure, City and Guilds College, along with the other constituent colleges, ceased to exist as a separate entity. In September 2013 the Mechanical and Aeronautical engineering building at Imperial College was renamed City and Guilds Building to acknowledge the historical legacy. Its name also survives however in the City & Guilds College Union (CGCU)—the

student union A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...

for the Imperial College Faculty of Engineering and the Imperial College Business School—and in the City & Guilds College Association (CGCA). Alumni of the CGLI Central Technical College, the City and Guilds College, and the new Imperial College Faculty of Engineering, unite under the City & Guilds College Association. Established in 1897 as the Old Centralians, the Association adopted its current name in 1992. SFEC UK-CITYANDGUILDS009

CGLI examination and accreditation bodies

In 1953 the

Associated Examinations Board The Associated Examining Board (AEB) was an examination board serving England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1953 until 2000 when it merged with NEAB to form AQA. History Formation The Associated Examining Board was formed in response to th ...

(AEB) was established and administered by City & Guilds. 1964 saw the creation of the National Examining Board for Supervisory Management (NEBSM) as part of the City & Guilds group, specialising in qualifications for supervisors and junior managers. In 1973, the Technician Education Council (TEC) was created to unify technical education, eventually taking over the validation of courses in further and higher education. These courses led to

Ordinary National Certificate An Ordinary National Certificate (ONC) is a further education qualification in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off t ...

s and Diplomas (ONC/Ds) and

Higher National Certificate A Higher National Certificate (HNC), part of the Higher Nationals suite of qualifications, is a higher education/further education qualification in the United Kingdom. Overview In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the HNC is a BTEC qualificatio ...

s and Diplomas (HNC/Ds), which were previously the responsibility of professional bodies. It also saw the introduction of the City & Guilds Mnemonic Code for computer teaching. In 1974, the Business Education Council (BEC) was established, again administered by City & Guilds. This had the remit to rationalise and improve the relevance of sub-degree vocational education in

Further Education Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is education in addition to that received at secondary school, that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. I ...

and Higher Education colleges and in Polytechnics. Within 18 months, BEC took over responsibility for non-technical ONCs, ONDs, HNCs, HNDs, and other qualifications. BEC merged with TEC in 1984 to form the separately administered Business & Technology Education Council (BTEC). This then merged with the University of London Examinations & Assessment Council (ULEAC) in 1996 to form

Edexcel Edexcel (also known since 2013 as Pearson Edexcel) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational education and examination body formed in 1996 and wholly owned by Pearson plc since 2005. It is the only privately owned examination board ...

. In 1990 City & Guilds purchased the Pitman Examinations Institute, and Pitman Qualifications Single Subject awards in business and administration and English language proved to be successful worldwide. In 2002, the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) was formed through the merger of NEBSM and the Institute of Supervisory Management (ISM) and became part of the City & Guilds Group. In 2004, the National Proficiency Tests Council (NPTC) – specialists for agricultural land-based qualifications – became part of the City & Guilds Group. In 2005, the

Hospitality Awarding Body The Hospitality Awarding Body (HAB) was, until January 2010, the United Kingdom's specialist awarding body for hospitality and catering qualifications. History In 2005 the company was acquired by the City and Guilds of London Institute The Cit ...

(HAB) – specialists in awards for hospitality and catering – became part of the City & Guilds Group. In January 2010, all active candidates were transferred to City & Guilds courses to remove duplicate award provisions across the Group. In 2008, the City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development was formed as part of the City & Guilds Group. Its mission is to influence and improve skills policy and practice worldwide through an evidence-based approach.

Charitable purpose

The charitable aims of the City and Guilds of London Institute are: "Providing internationally recognised qualifications, awards, assessments and support for individuals and organisations in the United Kingdom and overseas across a wide range of occupations in industry, commerce, the public services and elsewhere." The charitable objects of the institute, as defined in its royal charter, are: "For the purposes of all such branches of science and the fine arts and for the advancement, dissemination, propagation, promotion, culture, and application of all such branches of science and the fine arts as a benefit or are of use to or may benefit or be of use to productive and technical industries especially and to commerce and industry generally or any branch thereof."

Qualifications

City & Guilds is an

awarding body In the United Kingdom, an awarding body is an examination board which sets examinations and awards Professional certification, qualifications, such as General Certificate of Secondary Education, GCSEs and Advanced Level (UK), A-levels. Additionally ...

offering many accredited qualifications mapped onto the

(RQF), Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW), and

Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) is the national credit transfer system for all levels of qualifications in Scotland. Awards are classified under the framework at ''levels'', and study undertaken at that level is valued ...

(SCQF). As of November 2016, City & Guilds offers 2312 different regulated qualifications, more than any other awarding body. These cover entry level to level 7 on the RQF, with most qualifications falling in the entry-level to level 3 range. * Entry-level qualifications are the basics, for beginners. * Level 1 qualifications are introductory awards, covering basic tasks and knowledge. * Level 2 is slightly more advanced, needing some knowledge of the subject area. * Level 3 qualifications cover more complex tasks and also start the development of supervisory skills. In many professions, level 3 is the benchmark to be considered competent. The range of vocational qualifications covers areas such as

engineering technician An engineering technician is a professional trained in skills and techniques related to a specific branch of technology, with a practical understanding of the relevant engineering concepts. Engineering technicians often assist engineers and engi ...

arts and craft A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...

, tradesman, health and social care, hairdressing, automotive maintenance, construction, and catering, but also more obscure subjects such as sheep shearing, DJing, flower arranging, and even door supervision (bouncer).

National Vocational Qualifications

The qualifications available include

National Vocational Qualification National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are practical work-based awards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that are achieved through assessment and training. The regulatory framework supporting NVQs was withdrawn in 2015 and replaced by the ...

s (NVQs), most of which are offered at level 2 or 3, although City & Guilds offer NVQs up to Level 7. With 229 NVQs on the Register of Regulated Qualifications (as of November 2016), City & Guilds offers more different NVQs than any other organisation.

TechBac

City & Guilds launched the TechBac in 2014. This is a baccalaureate-style qualification aimed at 16–19-year-olds and taking in qualifications in technical skills and workplace skills. It is available at level 2 and level 3, with the level 3 awards attracting

UCAS The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS ) is a UK-based organisation whose main role is to operate the application process for British universities. It operates as an independent charity, funded by fees charged to applicants an ...

points that can count towards admission to university or college courses. The TechBac can be studied in eleven subjects: *Engineering *Construction *Health & care *Childcare *Automotive *Land *Hospitality & catering *Business *Hair & beauty *Travel & Tourism *Building services.

Higher level qualifications

City & Guilds offers higher-level qualifications in a wide range of subjects ranging from

Professional Engineering Regulation and licensure in engineering is established by various jurisdictions of the world to encourage life, public welfare, safety, well-being, then environment and other interests of the general public and to define the licensure process thro ...

, Engineering Technology, Management, and Building Services Engineering to various levels of apprenticeships, for higher technicians, tradesman,

Craft A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale prod ...

, Travel, and Tourism. These qualifications consist of outcomes competencies-based units, covering core, specialised, and key technical and management areas, which are assessed by means of examinations and written assignments.

Higher Professional Diploma

Higher Professional Diplomas (HPD) were a suite of awards at level 4 of the RQF for people who want to gain advanced technical skills and broader management knowledge. As of February 2017, most have been discontinued and while the ''Higher Professional Diploma in Sport and Recreation Management'' is still running, it is no longer open to new learners.

Master Professional Diploma

The Master Professional Diploma (MPD) was a level 7 award suitable for those working at higher levels in a relevant industry. It is no longer awarded.

Professional Recognition Awards

The City and Guilds Awards for Professional Recognition are accredited awards offered at levels 4 (academic first-year undergraduate or

certificate of higher education A Certificate of Higher Education (Cert.H.E./CertHE) is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom. Overview The Certificate is awarded after one year of full-time study (or equivalent) at a university or other higher education institu ...

level) to 7 (academic

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

or postgraduate certificate or

diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...

level) of the

, corresponding to the Licentiateship (LCGI), Affiliateship (AfCGI), Graduateship (GCGI) and Membership (MCGI) of the institute. According to City and Guilds, the characteristics of someone gaining a Professional Recognition Award are: Licentiateship (LCGI): "A level 4 Professional Recognition Award (Licentiateship) candidate would typically: *have first-line responsibility for managing day-to-day activities *manage resources in own area of responsibility *constructively work with others to develop and maintain good working relationships *develop and maintain good customer relationships *identify and access opportunities for professional development *be able to apply professional standards in own area of responsibility *communicate effectively and manage information in line with organisational and legal requirements *consistently meet aims and objectives *exercise autonomy and judgement in the work role *consider the views and perspectives of others in decision making *address problems that are well-defined but non-routine" Affiliateship (AfCGI): "A level 5 Professional Recognition Award (Affiliateship) candidate would typically: *have line management responsibilities *anticipate, plan, and lead change *manage resources *constructively work with others to develop and maintain good working relationships *set direction and inspire others to work together to achieve challenging outcomes *generate creative ideas to inform best practices and continual improvement *monitor compliance with professional standards* *implement an effective communication strategy *develop and maintain good customer relationships to support the customer focussed culture of the organisation *analyse, identify and access professional development *address problems that are well-defined but complex and non-routine *exercising autonomy and judgement in decision making which takes into account the views and perspectives of others" Graduateship (GCGI): "A level 6 Professional Recognition Award (Graduateship) candidate would typically: *have senior management responsibilities *take responsibility for achieving organisational objectives *take responsibility for managing a programme of substantial change or development *identify and manage resources to meet organisational objectives *take responsibility for motivating, delegating and empowering others *promote innovation and generate ideas for improvement *take responsibility for promoting, monitoring and maintaining compliance to professional standards* *establish, lead and maintaining effective communication *develop and implement standards for customer service *evaluate the impact of professional development on self and the organisation *address problems that are complex and non-routine *use autonomy to make judgements, demonstrating an ability to understand different perspectives, approaches and schools of thought" Membership (MCGI): "A level 7 Professional Recognition Award (Membership) candidate would typically: *have strategic leadership responsibilities *articulate a vision for the future of the organisation or own area of responsibility *take responsibility for leading the organisation or own area of responsibility through complex change *have an in depth understanding of resources and manage them to meet organisational objectives *establish a culture of mutual support and cohesion which values the contribution of others and recognises success *promote innovation and generate ideas for improvement *establishing an environment and culture that assures and promotes compliance with professional standards* *develop a communication strategy for the organisation or own area of responsibility *represent the organisation to communicate on matters of importance and sensitivity and establish robust methods for managing information. *establish a strategy for putting the customer at the centre of the organisation or own area of responsibility *champion professional development within the organisation"

Professional Engineering Qualifications

City & Guilds offers graduate (level 6) and postgraduate (level 7) diplomas in engineering. These have been designed in conjunction with professional engineering bodies to ensure that holders can apply for professional registration as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng) with the Graduate Diploma or Chartered Engineer (CEng) with the Postgraduate Diploma. Candidates for professional registration are considered individually through the normal assessment procedures of the relevant professional body for their specific discipline. The graduate and post graduate diplomas are offered in five areas: civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronic and telecommunication engineering, and information technology. These qualifications can lead to professional registration (IEng or CEng as appropriate) through the following three discipline-specific professional engineering institutions: *Civil Engineering – Institution of Civil Engineers *Mechanical Engineering –

Institution of Mechanical Engineers The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 120,000 member ...

*Electrical Engineering; Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering; Information Technology – Institution of Engineering and Technology

Associateship (ACGI)

The Associateship of the City and Guilds of London Institute is awarded to undergraduates of the

Faculty of Engineering Faculty may refer to: * Faculty (academic staff), the academic staff of a university (North American usage) * Faculty (division), a division within a university (usage outside of the United States) * Faculty (instrument), an instrument or warra ...

Imperial College London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

upon completion of their studies. It is a legacy of the historic City and Guilds College and association between the City and Guilds of London and the college. It is considered a level 6 NVQ qualification, despite involving only academic components, and associates are eligible to use the

post-nominal letters Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, academic degree, accreditation, ...

ACGI.

Fellowship (FCGI)

Fellowship (FCGI) is the highest honour conferred by the Council of the City and Guilds of London Institute to recognise outstanding professional and personal achievement. Fellows are leaders of industry, education & academia or government & public sector who have achieved remarkable success in their respective fields. Generally, they hold senior roles such as CEOs, board members or specialist employees or consultants at the national or international level. The FCGI is equivalent to level 8 on the

(RQF), the same level as a PhD or

Professional Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

Recognition

* Professional recognition awards authorised by

. * Professional recognition awards are accredited by

Ofqual The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) is a non-ministerial government department that regulates qualifications, exams and tests in England. Colloquially and publicly, Ofqual is often referred to as the exam "watchdog ...

and included on the Register of Regulated Qualifications. *Vocational qualifications accredited by

and included on the Register of Regulated Qualifications.

Arms

References

City and Guilds Qualifications Academic Comparison

External links

City & Guilds Group website

City & Guilds website

City & Guilds NPTC
{{DEFAULTSORT:City And Guilds Of London Institute Educational institutions established in 1878 Education in London 1878 establishments in the United Kingdom Alfred Waterhouse buildings Organisations associated with Imperial College London Vocational education in the United Kingdom