Sadiq Khan invests £25m in funding to boost Londoners' skills
The Mayor of London is funding dozens of projects to train Londoners and prepare the workforce of the city for the future.
For now, he has awarded the program £25.7m but the investment is part of a total pot of £114m that will be spread out over four years through the Skills for Londoners Capital Fund.
The fund aims to improve the city’s skill provision by delivering training and education facilities across the capital. The mayor has been clear that the skills provision should respond to businesses' demands and equip Londoners for important labour sectors in the future like the digital sector.
In May, he launched Skills for Londoners, with the aim to give all people the possibility of training in the skills they needed.
The London Aerospace and Technology College in Bromley has received £6.4m from the £25m to expand technical training across aviation and aeronautics. Barking and Dagenham College received £5 million to complete its Centre for Advanced Technologies so it provides training in electrical engineering, digital tech and the creative industries.
The £114m has been made available by the London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP), which is chaired by the Mayor.
The investment could help over 40,000 additional learners of which 5,500 are special educational needs and disability learners.
LEAP board member, Dr Celia Caulcott said, "We are delighted to be working alongside the Mayor to invest in learning spaces and equipment to boost skills in the capital.
"Ensuring more world-class learning environments that reflect the realities of the world of work will help Londoners of all ages and backgrounds develop the skills they need to access employment and maximise their potential."
Khan said, "London’s economy is changing and I’m determined to lead by example when it comes to helping build the workforce of the future in the capital.
"These projects are great examples of how innovative institutions can deliver the skills which will increasingly be in demand as London grows and changes over time.
"The increase of globalisation and automation in the workplace brings both challenges and opportunities and we are addressing this head on through our Skills for Londoners Strategy."