Members of City and Guilds of London Institute have voted in favour of an inquiry into the sale of the charity’s commercial arm.
At the 148-year-old educational charity’s annual meeting this week, members backed an investigation into C&G’s October sale of its training and awards arm to PeopleCert, a Greek language certification company.
PeopleCert has taken over the training, awarding and assessment business under the name City & Guilds Limited, while the CGLI retained between £180m and £200m and transferred about 1,400 staff out of the charity.
The Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the CGLI in January over concerns raised about the sale and bonuses awarded to the charity’s executives.
Neil Bates, a City and Guilds of London Institute fellow, said in a LinkedIn post this week the decision to vote in favour of an independent inquiry provided “real optimism for the future”.
Bates said October’s sale raised “profound questions about governance, transparency and stewardship of a royal charter institution with a national public purpose”.
Concerned parties including CGLI members, fellows and former staff came together out of a sense of “shared responsibility” for the organisation, Bates said.
“That collective concern led to the formation of the City & Guilds Action Group and to the annual meeting at Drapers’ Hall,” he said.
“Attendance was unprecedented. Debate was informed, passionate and focused on the Institute’s purpose, heritage and future role in technical education. Members spoke with clarity and conviction.
“When the vote was finally taken, there was an overwhelming mandate in favour of an independent inquiry.”
Jessica Leigh Jones, a City and Guilds of London Institute fellow, has been appointed as chair of the CGLI, according to Bates.
“There is now an opportunity to begin renewal and healing – reaffirming public purpose, restoring trust and ensuring City & Guilds continues to serve the skills needs of a modern industrial economy with integrity and transparency,” Bates said.
“What I witnessed [at the meeting] was civic responsibility in action – and it gives me real optimism for the future.”
A spokesperson for the City and Guilds said: “This week we held our bi-annual City and Guilds of London Institute Council meeting with members of council and annual meeting with some of our CGLI members.
“Both meetings were an opportunity to reflect and discuss the recent decisions made and present our early thinking on the strategy for CGLI moving forwards.
“Our strategy is deep rooted in our royal charter to advance technical education, and there was a commitment made from the trustee board at both meetings to better work with and engage with them moving forward.
“In addition, a range of resolutions were passed and the trustee board now needs time to reflect on those resolutions and will be meeting in the coming days to discuss them and next steps.”
– This article was updated on 17 April 2026 to include a City & Guilds comment