Building Skills, Opportunity and Impact Through Partnership

Preparing young people for the future is a challenge that no single organisation can solve alone. As employers seek new skills, educators prepare students for an evolving world of work and governments focus on improving opportunity and social mobility, collaboration has never been more important. CGI’s partnership with Skills Builder demonstrates how industry and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector can work together to help young people develop the essential skills they need for future success.

At CGI, we believe social value is most effective when it aligns with client objectives while creating meaningful benefits for communities. Our partnership with Skills Builder demonstrates how organisations with different expertise can work together to help young people develop the confidence and essential skills needed to succeed in education, employment and life.

Skills Builder's Essential Skills Framework focuses on eight critical skills, including communication, teamwork, leadership and problem solving. These are skills that employers consistently identify as fundamental to future success, yet many young people have limited opportunities to develop and practise them in real-world settings. That’s why CGI has sponsored Skills Builder programmes in 15 schools in areas of high deprivation, reaching 432 teachers and 2965 learners, more than half (56%) of whom are eligible for free school meals.

As a global technology and professional services organisation, CGI can provide those opportunities. Through education outreach programmes, school engagement activities, mentoring and volunteering initiatives, CGI professionals help bring workplace experiences into the classroom. Together with Skills Builder's proven framework and expertise, these activities create structured opportunities for young people to build their confidence and understand how essential skills apply in practice. This approach is delivering measurable results, with 89% of learners on the programme progressing in their essential skills.

The value of this partnership lies in the combination of complementary strengths. Skills Builder brings specialist knowledge of skills development and educational outcomes. CGI contributes industry insight, role models and access to volunteers who can share their experiences and inspire future career aspirations. Together, we are able to create programmes that are more impactful than either organisation could achieve independently.

This collaborative approach also supports wider public sector priorities. Across government, there is increasing focus on improving opportunity, supporting economic growth and ensuring that young people are equipped for the future workforce. By helping students develop essential skills and broaden their understanding of career pathways, partnerships such as ours contribute to these objectives while delivering tangible social value outcomes.

Importantly, this is not simply about preparing young people for employment. It is about helping them build confidence, resilience and aspiration. These outcomes benefit individuals, schools, communities and employers alike.

Careers Leader at Maple House School, a recipient of the programme:

"The best part about working with Skills Builder is teaching the children life-long skills to cope in the real world. Our programme lead at Skills Builder has guided and empowered us superbly to the point we are on track to achieve gold award in our first year and will be leading on rolling out our wider strategy using the online resources next year."

"Delivering as part of our partnership with Skills Builder allows us to play a meaningful role in supporting schools in some of the most disadvantaged communities, ensuring students gain the tools they need to thrive in education and beyond. This initiative is not only about building skills, it's about building confidence, aspirations and opportunities."

— Pip Green, Director of Social Value, CGI in the UK

The partnership between CGI and Skills Builder demonstrates how social value delivers the greatest impact through collaboration. By aligning expertise, resources and shared objectives, we’re creating opportunities that have a lasting impact on young people's futures. It is one example of how partnerships between industry and VCSE organisations can support wider public sector priorities while creating meaningful opportunities for communities.

Looking ahead

As the Government places increasing emphasis on using public procurement to support good jobs, skills and opportunities, partnerships like this will become even more important. The new Social Value Model, PPN 026, reinforces the focus on creating pathways into employment, developing skills and ensuring opportunities reach the communities and young people who can benefit most.

This direction reflects much of what CGI and Skills Builder are already putting into practice. By working with schools in areas of high deprivation, building essential skills and confidence, and helping young people understand the pathways available into future careers, we are demonstrating how industry and the VCSE sector can work together to turn these ambitions into meaningful outcomes.

The challenge now is how we build on what works. As government, industry and VCSE organisations respond to the evolving Social Value landscape, there is an opportunity to strengthen and scale approaches that connect skills development with aspiration, work experience and ultimately pathways into good-quality employment.

For CGI, this means continuing to work with our VCSE partners and clients to create opportunities that respond to local needs while helping build the diverse talent pipeline needed for the UK's future economy.

To learn more about CGI's education outreach programmes, our partnership with Skills Builder and how we’re delivering social value through collaboration, explore our Social Value Report.