Mayor of London's Skills for Londoners

Mayor of London's Skills for Londoners
Name	Skills for Londoners
Established	2016
Founder	Sadiq Khan
Jurisdiction	Greater London

Mayor of London's Skills for Londoners

Skills for Londoners is a pan-London skills and adult education initiative launched under Sadiq Khan to coordinate training, apprenticeships, and adult learning across Greater London. The programme links Mayoral strategy with borough delivery, employer partnerships, and national frameworks to address sectoral shortages, productivity, and social mobility in the capital. It operates alongside devolved arrangements involving local authorities, further education colleges, and private providers.

Background and Origins

The programme was announced by Sadiq Khan following manifesto commitments and built on prior initiatives such as the London Enterprise Panel agenda, the London Skills and Employment Board, and policies promoted by the Mayor of London's office. Its roots trace to national reforms including the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 and the Skills for Jobs White Paper, while complementing regional strategies like the London Plan and the London Finance Commission. Contributors to its formation included stakeholders from City of London Corporation, London Councils, Tech London Advocates, Federation of Small Businesses, and trade bodies such as the Confederation of British Industry and the TUC.

Programme Objectives and Scope

Skills for Londoners aims to align skills provision with demand in sectors represented by institutions like NHS England, Transport for London, Kensington and Chelsea Council, and employers including BBP, BT Group, Rolls-Royce, GSK, and GlaxoSmithKline. Objectives encompass increasing apprenticeship starts promoted by Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, expanding adult learning at providers such as City and Islington College and West Thames College, and supporting routes into work via partners like Jobcentre Plus. The scope covers occupational sectors such as finance hubs represented by London Stock Exchange, creative industries linked to British Film Institute, construction projects like Crossrail, and digital clusters associated with Tech Nation.

Funding and Governance

Funding channels include devolved adult education budgets administered by the Mayor of London's office in coordination with the Department for Education, supplemented by employer levy transfers under the Apprenticeship levy, philanthropic support from entities like the Wellcome Trust and National Lottery Community Fund, and capital programmes akin to investments by the European Structural and Investment Funds where applicable. Governance structures link the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime only administratively and more directly the Greater London Authority with oversight from boards including representatives from London Councils, the London Enterprise Panel, and sector chairs nominated by bodies such as the Royal Society and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Key Initiatives and Delivery Partners

Delivery has involved colleges and providers including Goldsmiths, University of London partners, University College London outreach, City, University of London skills hubs, and further education institutions like Newham College and South Thames College. Employer-facing initiatives have engaged Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, EY, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, and Gatwick Airport for apprenticeships and traineeships. Sector-specific projects partnered with National Health Service (England), NHS Trusts such as Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, construction alliances with Balfour Beatty and Laing O'Rourke, and creative skills collaborations with Imperial College London incubators and Royal College of Art. Delivery networks included employment support from Jobcentre Plus, community outreach via London Youth and Shelter (charity), and data analytics from organisations like Nesta and Centre for Cities.

Impact, Evaluation, and Outcomes

Evaluations referenced performance indicators comparable to those used by Education and Skills Funding Agency and metrics employed by Office for National Statistics relating to employment rates, wage growth, and sectoral vacancies captured by ONS publications. Outcomes reported increases in apprenticeship starts recorded by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and progression onto higher technical routes supported by Tech Partnership frameworks, as well as local pilot successes in boroughs including Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, and Lambeth. Independent analyses by think tanks such as Resolution Foundation, IPPR, The Social Market Foundation, and Policy Exchange assessed effectiveness in addressing skills mismatches cited in reports from House of Commons Education Committee.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques have centered on allocation transparency raised by councillors from Hammersmith and Fulham, Brent, and Wandsworth, and by commentators at Financial Times, The Guardian, The Times, and The Telegraph over prioritisation and Brexit-related funding changes influenced by the European Union transition. Trade unions including the TUC and bodies like Unite the Union have questioned quality assurance amid rapid expansion, while provider representatives from the Association of Colleges and University and College Union noted capacity constraints and funding shortfalls analogous to concerns in reports by the National Audit Office. Debates in the London Assembly and coverage by broadcasters such as the BBC and Channel 4 highlighted disparities between central targets and borough-level delivery, with legal and administrative scrutiny involving the Chartered Institute of Housing and the Equality and Human Rights Commission in relation to access and equity.

Category:Skills policy in London