This is the year to apply for a Princess Royal Training Award: The prestigious accolade that sets organisations apart and delivers exceptional benefits!
Rebecca Carpenter
Managing Consultant, Boost Awards
A unique award: Unparalleled support and royal distinction
Investing in learning and development (L&D) is vital for organisational success. Prioritising workforce upskilling keeps organisations competitive, and promotes growth, innovation and employee satisfaction. Recognition of these efforts not only validates them but also distinguishes organisations from competitors, offering a strong unique selling point.
Celebrating their 10th year, the Princess Royal Training Awards have established themselves as the pinnacle of recognition for exceptional training and development initiatives. But this prestigious accolade goes beyond simply acknowledging organisations that meet its rigorous standards – it honours outstanding dedication to learning while offering recipients access to an exclusive alumni network and a host of valuable benefits that continue long after the award ceremony.
The Princess Royal Training Awards distinguish themselves from other award programmes in several notable ways: they are completely free, open to all UK and Ireland-based organisations, and as a standard of excellence, there is no competition with other organisations. The royal seal of approval adds an extra layer of distinction.
Named after HRH The Princess Royal, President of the City & Guilds of London Institute, these Awards benefit from her active involvement. HRH personally reviews the Assessors’ recommendations and presents the Awards to recipients at the prestigious ceremony. As one previous Award recipient noted:
“There is something a little bit magical about The Princess Royal and that stardom element. So that definitely gives it an extra edge which we wouldn’t have had with another award.”
The Awards also offer a wealth of support options, including in-person and virtual workshops, tea and chat sessions, web chat, one-to-one-calls, and draft feedback from Assessors (now available at two points in the application journey).
In 2024, technology solutions company Version 1 achieved an Award for a programme designed to build and grow its own culture and develop its approach to sustainability planning. For them:
“What was really beneficial was just the amount of support that the Princess Royal Training Awards team provide. I made sure that we joined all the tea & chat sessions, I had one of my team members go along to the in-person session in Dublin, and something I would urge everyone to do is get your draft in, even if it isn’t the final draft you’d like to submit.”
Beyond the Award: Unleashing organisational potential
Earning a Princess Royal Training Award has been transformative for numerous organisations, offering benefits that extend beyond the Award itself. The royal recognition enhances recipients’ reputations, distinguishing them from competitors and boosting their industry credibility. The Award has also helped organisations enhance recruitment and retention, attracting top talent and retaining valuable employees by showcasing their commitment to professional development.
Award recipients frequently report increased investment in their training programmes following the accolade, and HR and L&D departments often find themselves more deeply involved in organisational strategy post-Award. Pret, who achieved an Award in 2023 for the Pret Academy, experienced this first-hand:
“It has made a big difference. Before, it was very operationally driven and we weren’t seen as the experts, but now they want to speak to the L&D team to see how to deliver solutions, and we have lots of people coming to us, lots of senior stakeholders. Internally, it has put us on their radar.”
Offploy, a social enterprise dedicated to supporting individuals to overcome barriers to secure and stable employment, earned recognition in 2024 for their innovate programme designed to enhance case load management. They reported on the unifying aspect of the Award:
“This Award really did help to bring all sorts of obscure departments together across the organisation. The Award was a huge boost to ensure that the person that’s mentoring feels validated in what they do, and then the organisation, the training and the quality team also feel validated. Therefore, all other departments do as well.”
The 2024 Impact Report* revealed even more compelling findings from the latest survey of Award recipients:
- 84% reported increased confidence in their organisation’s approach to culture and training.
- 93% emphasised an increase in engagement and wellbeing in the workplace due to investment in learning and development.
- 91% expressed an increased ability to demonstrate the value of skills to their organisation’s social value.
A decade of network building: The power of the alumni
One of the most significant benefits of receiving a Princess Royal Training Award is becoming part of a thriving alumni of more than 700 like-minded organisations. Over the past ten years, the Princess Royal Training Awards have promoted a diverse and vibrant alumni community, from global corporations to small charities, across various sectors and each with their own unique story to tell.
This esteemed network, united by a shared commitment to L&D, provides networking opportunities with other industry leaders, the sharing of best practice, and ongoing prospects for professional development, knowledge exchange and collaborative initiatives.
In 2024, the first Skills Share event held at Guildhall, London, highlighted the community’s strengths, bringing organisations together to network and share valuable lessons and best practice. Chief Assessor Fenella Tallon remarked:
“The City & Guilds Foundation’s Skills Share event in May 2024 was a huge success and attracted over one hundred people. Hearing people share their stories and having a focus on hot topics like supporting neurodiverse learners was so inspiring.”
The gathering highlighted diverse expertise across sectors, featuring programmes in leadership development, cultural transformation, talent pipeline upskilling, and apprenticeships. What made the event particularly special was the attendees’ shared commitment to L&D, and their belief in the transformative power of workplace training.
Join a community of excellence
As the Princess Royal Training Awards enter their second decade, the value of this community continues to grow. Kirstie Donnelly MBE, CEO of City & Guilds, emphasises its impact:
“These exceptional institutions have raised the bar for best practice, inspiring us all to invest in our people. Their commitment to a skilled and future-ready workforce is truly commendable. As we mark this significant milestone, we’re excited to invite more organisations to join this incredible community and help shape the future of training excellence.”
If you are looking to be recognised for a training programme which has positively impacted your organisation, and would like to join this exceptional alumni, why not apply now?
This is a unique opportunity to display your commitment to training and development and be recognised for your achievements. Visit the website, contact the team at: info@princessroyaltrainingawards.com or sign up for a free workshop to find out more.
Applications are open until 31 March 2025.
I wish you the best of luck with your entry!
Becki
*City & Guilds (2024) Impact Report 2024: The impact of skills on lives.
Useful links:
The Princess Royal Training Awards website: https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/
Details for the support workshops: https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/help-and-support/
Find out if you are eligible: https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/how-to-apply/eligibility-flowchart/
Alumni network: https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/alumni/
Recipients 2024: https://princessroyaltrainingawards.com/2024-recipients
Boost’s award writing services: https://boost-awards.co.uk/
This is the year to apply for a Princess Royal Training Award: The prestigious accolade that sets organisations apart and delivers exceptional benefits!
Rebecca Carpenter
Managing Consultant, Boost Awards
A unique award: Unparalleled support and royal distinction
Investing in learning and development (L&D) is vital for organisational success. Prioritising workforce upskilling keeps organisations competitive, and promotes growth, innovation and employee satisfaction. Recognition of these efforts not only validates them but also distinguishes organisations from competitors, offering a strong unique selling point.
Celebrating their 10th year, the Princess Royal Training Awards have established themselves as the pinnacle of recognition for exceptional training and development initiatives. But this prestigious accolade goes beyond simply acknowledging organisations that meet its rigorous standards – it honours outstanding dedication to learning while offering recipients access to an exclusive alumni network and a host of valuable benefits that continue long after the award ceremony.
The Princess Royal Training Awards distinguish themselves from other award programmes in several notable ways: they are completely free, open to all UK and Ireland-based organisations, and as a standard of excellence, there is no competition with other organisations. The royal seal of approval adds an extra layer of distinction.
Named after HRH The Princess Royal, President of the City & Guilds of London Institute, these Awards benefit from her active involvement. HRH personally reviews the Assessors’ recommendations and presents the Awards to recipients at the prestigious ceremony. As one previous Award recipient noted:
“There is something a little bit magical about The Princess Royal and that stardom element. So that definitely gives it an extra edge which we wouldn’t have had with another award.”
The Awards also offer a wealth of support options, including in-person and virtual workshops, tea and chat sessions, web chat, one-to-one-calls, and draft feedback from Assessors (now available at two points in the application journey).
In 2024, technology solutions company Version 1 achieved an Award for a programme designed to build and grow its own culture and develop its approach to sustainability planning. For them:
“What was really beneficial was just the amount of support that the Princess Royal Training Awards team provide. I made sure that we joined all the tea & chat sessions, I had one of my team members go along to the in-person session in Dublin, and something I would urge everyone to do is get your draft in, even if it isn’t the final draft you’d like to submit.”
Beyond the Award: Unleashing organisational potential
Earning a Princess Royal Training Award has been transformative for numerous organisations, offering benefits that extend beyond the Award itself. The royal recognition enhances recipients’ reputations, distinguishing them from competitors and boosting their industry credibility. The Award has also helped organisations enhance recruitment and retention, attracting top talent and retaining valuable employees by showcasing their commitment to professional development.
Award recipients frequently report increased investment in their training programmes following the accolade, and HR and L&D departments often find themselves more deeply involved in organisational strategy post-Award. Pret, who achieved an Award in 2023 for the Pret Academy, experienced this first-hand:
“It has made a big difference. Before, it was very operationally driven and we weren’t seen as the experts, but now they want to speak to the L&D team to see how to deliver solutions, and we have lots of people coming to us, lots of senior stakeholders. Internally, it has put us on their radar.”
Offploy, a social enterprise dedicated to supporting individuals to overcome barriers to secure and stable employment, earned recognition in 2024 for their innovate programme designed to enhance case load management. They reported on the unifying aspect of the Award:
“This Award really did help to bring all sorts of obscure departments together across the organisation. The Award was a huge boost to ensure that the person that’s mentoring feels validated in what they do, and then the organisation, the training and the quality team also feel validated. Therefore, all other departments do as well.”
The 2024 Impact Report* revealed even more compelling findings from the latest survey of Award recipients:
- 84% reported increased confidence in their organisation’s approach to culture and training.
- 93% emphasised an increase in engagement and wellbeing in the workplace due to investment in learning and development.
- 91% expressed an increased ability to demonstrate the value of skills to their organisation’s social value.
A decade of network building: The power of the alumni
One of the most significant benefits of receiving a Princess Royal Training Award is becoming part of a thriving alumni of more than 700 like-minded organisations. Over the past ten years, the Princess Royal Training Awards have promoted a diverse and vibrant alumni community, from global corporations to small charities, across various sectors and each with their own unique story to tell.
This esteemed network, united by a shared commitment to L&D, provides networking opportunities with other industry leaders, the sharing of best practice, and ongoing prospects for professional development, knowledge exchange and collaborative initiatives.
In 2024, the first Skills Share event held at Guildhall, London, highlighted the community’s strengths, bringing organisations together to network and share valuable lessons and best practice. Chief Assessor Fenella Tallon remarked:
“The City & Guilds Foundation’s Skills Share event in May 2024 was a huge success and attracted over one hundred people. Hearing people share their stories and having a focus on hot topics like supporting neurodiverse learners was so inspiring.”
The gathering highlighted diverse expertise across sectors, featuring programmes in leadership development, cultural transformation, talent pipeline upskilling, and apprenticeships. What made the event particularly special was the attendees’ shared commitment to L&D, and their belief in the transformative power of workplace training.
Join a community of excellence
As the Princess Royal Training Awards enter their second decade, the value of this community continues to grow. Kirstie Donnelly MBE, CEO of City & Guilds, emphasises its impact:
“These exceptional institutions have raised the bar for best practice, inspiring us all to invest in our people. Their commitment to a skilled and future-ready workforce is truly commendable. As we mark this significant milestone, we’re excited to invite more organisations to join this incredible community and help shape the future of training excellence.”
If you are looking to be recognised for a training programme which has positively impacted your organisation, and would like to join this exceptional alumni, why not apply now?
This is a unique opportunity to display your commitment to training and development and be recognised for your achievements. Visit the website, contact the team at: info@princessroyaltrainingawards.com or sign up for a free workshop to find out more.
Applications are open until 31 March 2025.
I wish you the best of luck with your entry!
Becki
*City & Guilds (2024) Impact Report 2024: The impact of skills on lives.
Useful links:
The Princess Royal Training Awards website: https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/
Details for the support workshops: https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/help-and-support/
Find out if you are eligible: https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/how-to-apply/eligibility-flowchart/
Alumni network: https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/alumni/
Recipients 2024: https://princessroyaltrainingawards.com/2024-recipients
Boost’s award writing services: https://boost-awards.co.uk/
