Vocational Rich List 2007
For the past five years City & Guilds has produced the Vocational Rich List. The list charts the wealth of the UK’s top millionaires, who have all made their money using their work-related training as a springboard to greater success.
This year’s results put Phones4U magnate and former engineer John Cauldwell at the top with a personal fortune of £1,600m, closely followed by diamond geezer Laurence Graff of Graff Diamonds with £1,500m. Sir James Dyson, inventor of the famous vacuum cleaner, Newport’s Sir Terry Matthews and another former engineer, Jim McColl, make up the rest of the top five.
Why do a Vocational Rich List?
City & Guilds is working to change the perception of work-related education as the ‘poor alternative’ to the traditional academic route.
As the list proves, it’s possible for people who choose the vocational path to amass personal wealth and, what’s more, to become industry leaders.
We develop our qualifications with relevant leading industry bodies. This ensures that not only are we giving people the skills they need to do their jobs but that the qualifications and skills they get as a result are both recognised and needed by industry.
At any given time there are over one million people studying for a City & Guilds qualification in the UK. And if you think they’re all plumbers and hairdressers, think again.
We have over 500 different qualifications in 28 career areas and they range from beauty to butling, construction to catering and teaching to tourism.