London, Wednesday 25 September, 2024 – City & Guilds is proud to announce a new collaboration with hundo, the award-winning platform focused on addressing youth unemployment, to deliver a new employability skills pilot programme. Supported by the
City & Guilds Foundation, this initiative aims to bridge the gap between education and employment by equipping young people with the skills they need to thrive in the modern workforce.

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The pilot programme will be delivered across a number of City & Guilds’ partners including Havant and South Downs College, Leeds City College, Bradford College, Walsall College, Gower College Swansea, Resurgo, Onside Wolverhampton, and Onside Wigan. The programme will complement existing employability and careers support for young people.

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Launched on Wednesday 18 September 2024, the programme will initially focus on students pursuing Employability Skills and Vehicle Maintenance qualifications, with the potential for wider rollout in future.

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A New Approach to Youth Employability

hundo’s innovative platform will provide students with personalised career guidance and CV-building support, industry insights, and skills development resources, tailored to complement their City & Guilds qualifications. The AI-powered Career CoPilot, hundo’s cutting-edge tool, will guide students through industry-specific pathways, help them assess their current skill set, and recommend actions to improve their employability. Career CoPilot is trained in over 200 industries and 10,000 companies, giving students unprecedented access to tailored career advice. 

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A No-Cost Opportunity for Schools and Colleges

The pilot project, which is offered at no cost to participating schools and colleges, aims to enhance classroom learning while providing crucial employability support. Students will be able to track their skills, earn digital badges, and explore pathways and employers in their areas. The programme’s resources are designed to extend beyond traditional education, offering practical, hands-on career support that can significantly impact students' future job prospects.

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A Commitment to Positive Change

“By combining hundo’s Innovate UK-backed AI Career Copilot and Employability Skills platform with City & Guilds trusted qualifications, we are offering learners a more effective route into their chosen careers.” said Esther O’Callaghan OBE, Founder of hundo. “We are committed to expanding this partnership to provide as many learners as possible with the ability to make the education to employment leap with confidence, because in an increasingly technological world of work it is essential for learners to combine qualifications with real work skills and experience. This is why this groundbreaking partnership is so vital.”

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The City & Guilds Foundation’s support underscores its commitment to ensuring all young people, regardless of their background, are provided with the tools to succeed. The Foundation’s collaboration with hundo is part of a wider effort to deliver real impact and engagement, ensuring that the next generation is well-prepared for the world of work.

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Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive, City & Guilds said, “ I am delighted that we will be making more opportunities available for learners in this way. Young people demand and deserve exciting and dynamic learning experiences to prepare them for the world of work. We are pleased to support hundo’s efforts to use technology in an exciting and engaging way to help overcome barriers for more learners to gain the gift of skills because it is skills that kick start careers and change lives.”. 

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For further information, please contact:  

Piers Collins, Co-Founder of hundo UK: piers@hundo.xyz

City & Guilds Communications team: press@cityandguilds.com 

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About hundo 

hundo is on a mission to tackle youth unemployment by closing the skills gap. Its multi-award-winning platform prepares learners for the world of work while they are still in education, providing employer-led virtual work experience and employability skills development.  

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About City & Guilds  

City & Guilds is the preferred brand and route for skills. We have been fulfilling our charitable purpose since 1878, by advancing skills for people, organisations, and societies.

With 3.5 million learners worldwide, we understand the life-changing link between skills development, social mobility, prosperity, and success. We champion vocational and technical training routes and collaborate with industries and government to campaign for improvements across the global skills landscape.

We work with over 2500 employers to deliver high-quality skills training and credentials, both in person and online, that meet the changing needs of industry and skills challenges. We deliver qualifications and awards to thousands of colleges and training providers across the globe, creating end-to-end solutions and improving learner skills and productivity. City & Guilds courses have contributed £11.2bn to society in the UK alone.

Through our City & Guilds Foundation we amplify our purpose by focusing on high-impact social investment, recognition, and advocacy programs which remove barriers to getting a job, celebrate best practice on the job, and advocate for jobs of the future. We have a proven track record of supporting skills development and creating over £10m of social value in communities that experience disadvantage. 

The City & Guilds community of brands includes Gen2, ILM, Intertrain, Trade Skills 4U, Kineo, and The Oxford Group.

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