As I prepare to step down from my position as Director-General, I am conscious that I have been just one of the caretakers of a grand tradition, a rich history. The role of those who work at City & Guilds is to protect and progress the vision and mission set out by our founders - to advance industry and commerce through work-related education and training.
 
This mission is as significant today as it was in 1878. Though our primary focus remains the UK, City & Guilds has also played a key role in many other parts of the world by demonstrating the importance of skills in forging productive and competitive world-class economies. Our main business has been, and is likely to remain for some time, the awarding of qualifications based on standards that are shaped and respected by employers. But two of our new strategic aims demonstrate that we are preparing for a broader role.

The decision to launch a new City & Guilds Association, open to all those who hold one of our qualifications, should create a hugely influential alumni body that can really champion work-related learning and demand esteem for all those who nurture the practical talents of our people.

The work being done in preparation for the launch of the Institute, the Centre for Skills Development, has demonstrated that there is a widespread expectation (not just in the UK but in many other countries as well) that we are well placed to articulate what is needed for the successful implementation of sound skills policies. I was greatly heartened by the response when I asked the Prime Minister for his support for this new venture: ’The Government has been impressed with the work done by City & Guilds and the Prime Minister welcomes the establishment of this new Institute,* which he expects will be an important addition to the skills community.’ That endorsement is one that I hear echoed across the UK and in many countries overseas.
 
2006-2007 was a challenging year. Adult learner numbers in England fell significantly again – over 1.5 million enrolments lost over the last three years; competition was tough in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; international markets were challenging. Yet, as a Group (and I want to acknowledge the great contributions from ILM and NPTC) we grew turnover by another £3 million, kept costs under control, and achieved our modest trading surplus target for the year. 

For many years we have been developing and trialling a new single on-line processing system that now makes us a serious 21st century IT player. We have taken the final steps towards becoming completely web-based, and even through the difficult period of changeover customer feedback has been very supportive of the tailored service this system now enables us to give them.

We have made good progress in extending our customer base amongst employers, with clients as varied as McDonalds and the Royal Navy. We have also made good progress in getting established in India and have promising contracts in both China and Greece.

The year has been dominated by the policy developments arising out of the Government’s acceptance of most of what Lord Leitch recommended in his Review published at the end of 2006. Some discussion is still needed about how to identify demand and to what extent the requirements of the individual or of employers should predominate. But there are hopeful signs that people increasingly accept that costs of lifelong learning need to be shared equitably between the public purse, employers and individuals.

Progress towards achieving a workable and comprehensible Qualifications and Credit Framework has been painfully slow, but the emerging model justifies optimism. If successful, it should be a hugely important mechanism for ensuring that people get recognition for learning which meets their immediate needs and those of their employers.

One sizable piece of development work carried out during the year deserves special mention. With our partner, AQA, we have launched the first wave of Diplomas - an enormous undertaking, carried out under the pressure of time and regulatory requirements.

I have had a hugely enjoyable and stimulating time as Director-General and those achievements that have been made over nearly seven years would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of the two Chairmen under whom I have served, David Young and Michael Howell, and the wise counsel of the Trustees.

But it is the staff whose contribution I most want to acknowledge and I thank them for giving me the most satisfying and exciting years of my working life (so far), and for being such a fantastic, all-round brilliant group of committed, interesting, exciting, eccentric, passionate, daring, concerned, determined, wonderful, delightful, challenging, proud, and downright marvellous people.

Chris Humphries CBE
Director-General