Launched in March 2008, the City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development (CSD) is a not for profit, research and development organisation for vocational education and training. We are part of the City & Guilds Group.
We work with researchers, practitioners, policy makers, employers and learners to influence and improve skills policy and practice worldwide through an evidence based approach.
We believe that vocational skills are a route to economic and social prosperity for all people.
Our Mission
To influence and improve the skills policy and practice worldwide through an evidence based approach, and to promote and raise the recognition of vocational skills internationally.
AREAS OF ACTIVITY
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
This is our permanent offer to the international vocational education and training (VET) community, making possible our purpose to inform and improve policy and practice. Activity includes engagement with stakeholders internationally, conversion of research into practical outcomes, and marketing, positioning and development of technology to manage knowledge and communications.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
We have targeted changes in a number of areas where we can foresee a positive impact. They have been identified through research or insight from business partners and stakeholders. Projects are funded jointly by The Centre for Skills Development and our chosen partners.
We work with policy makers, practitioners and researchers to conduct projects that are both informed by research and focused on beneficiaries' needs, to ensure that projects create a relevant and sustainable impact.
CONSULTANCY SERVICES
These are fee-paying projects commissioned by organisations to support their own development projects. We provide our services to agencies that have the best credentials in social and economic development and often seek to work with large multinational funding agencies and governments.
We have worked with an array of stakeholders from across the vocational education and training sector to pursue practical solutions that have had an impact both at the grass roots and management levels.
Our consultancy services cover the following areas:
Programme and Project Design
During project start-up we provide professionals with combined expertise in project management and vocational education and training to help clients structure projects in a way that will ensure clear planning and resourcing, and enable transparent evaluation that will pave the way to more certain visible success.
Project management
Once a project is underway, our experienced project managers will maintain a firm focus on delivery. At this stage, project managers with specialised skills within the project area may be introduced , to ensure that clients have access to the most suitable expertise they need at any given time.
Project evaluation and post-implementation review
At the end of a project, we will assess the outcomes against the initial aims and objectives. We will also implement a benefits management system to ensure the sustainability of the outcomes.
Research
By utilising our in-house expertise, our growing knowledge repository and strong and established links with vocational education and training academics, we can respond to research requirements in two ways:
-Pre-intervention studies aimed at producing baseline information about vocational education and training systems and establishing key indicators of change. The CSD holds information on a wide variety of vocational education and training practice that enables our researchers to quickly and thoroughly complete studies without the need for generic research or market research organisations.
-Reviews of literature and practice worldwide, made relevant to specific situations and aimed at informing policy change. We maintain an up-to-date library of research-on-research and practice examples.
Vocational education and training systems
Vocational education and training systems are highly complex and have interdependencies with the political, economic, social and technical environments. We provide expert advisers on policy and practice at the very highest levels.