Sadiq Khan invests over £340m in adult education in London
News of this funding comes after Khan announced the London Growth Plan earlier this year, which includes the development of a new talent strategy
London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has announced an investment exceeding £340m for the upcoming academic year to help Londoners access training and get jobs in key sectors of the capital’s economy, such as tech, hospitality and green industries.
It is estimated that this funding will help support roughly 200,000 Londoners to get the skills and training they need, with the ultimate aim of “building the talented workforce needed for London’s economic growth”.
News of this funding comes after Khan announced the London Growth Plan earlier this year, which includes the development of a new talent strategy as one of his key priorities to “turbocharge the capital’s economy”.
The funding includes the annual skills income that is devolved to the mayor from the Department of Education (DfE) and nearly £10m directly from City Hall, which Khan has provided to ensure that as many Londoners as possible are supported through adult education courses.
Programmes, such as those that teach industry relevant skills and support people to access training and employment opportunities in their local areas, will be funded as part of the investment.
In addition, Khan is investing in further education to ensure the sector can continue to deliver the skills Londoners need to access good work in key growth sectors.
Since the mayor was given control over adult skills in London in 2019, more than a million Londoners have received free skills education or training thanks to City Hall funding. Khan is also continuing to work closely with colleges and education providers to shift the skills industry in London to meet the needs of London’s economy.
Khan said: “I’m committed to ensuring that Londoners can gain the skills they need to progress into well-paid jobs in the growing sectors of our economy. This is a central part of our plans to increase economic growth across all parts of the capital. I’ve also topped up the adult skills fund by £10m to ensure that colleges and further education providers can continue training those in London who need it the most.
“Thanks to our skills programmes, we are seeing thousands of Londoners enter or re-enter the workforce with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. This is helping us to continue building a better, fairer and more prosperous London for everyone.”