The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has today announced that over 10,000 Londoners have been helped into work in key sectors in the capital through his Skills Academy hubs. These Londoners

have secured employment, apprenticeships or work placements paying at least the London Living Wage, and with a guaranteed 16 hours of work a week in the past year. 

Since January 2022, the Mayor has invested more than £10.2 million into funding staff to work in the Skills Academy hubs. Set up by the Mayor to help bridge the gap between employers and job seekers, the Hubs bring together training providers, sector bodies and employers. Londoners can access 28 hubs across London and they offer training, work experience, advice and guidance, and co-ordinate employment in key areas including the digital, health, social care, green, hospitality and creative industries. There is a particular focus on engaging and supporting Londoners who are underrepresented in key sectors, and those that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic in trying to gain employment. Support is also offered to employers to help improve workforce diversity.

More than 2,500 new employers have worked with the hubs, enabling them to reach skilled Londoners to fill their vacancies. Employers can also help shape the in-class training on offer to potential employees so it better responds to the market demand, enabling London’s businesses to flourish.  

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “It’s brilliant news that more than 10,000 Londoners are working in key sectors thanks to my Skills Academy hub funding.  

“By working closely with industry on skills training and development, we’ve been able to plug some of the skills gaps that has been a huge issue in recent years in sectors key to London’s economic growth. We need more targeted work to support job seekers between training providers, sector bodies and at all levels of Government.

“Supporting Londoners get into good jobs in future-proof industries with decent pay is one of the ways I’m helping build a better London for everyone – a safer, fairer and more prosperous city for all.”   

Generation is a training provider that leads the London Digital Jobs and Skills Hub. Their hub has brought together 13 different training providers under a single banner and they all work together to promote their collective training offer – helping Londoners to reach the right training provision for them and secure employment in the sector.

Olympia Brown, Hub Coordinator at Generation said: "Working on the Hub has allowed us to reach thousands of unemployed Londoners, and help hundreds of them enrol on courses that will enable them to access life changing work in the London tech sector. Meeting those who are starting their journey into work at our events is an absolute privilege, and the knowledge that we are making a difference...is doubly so"

Flannery Plant Hire is an award winning company providing specialist equipment, machine control systems and skills training to the construction industry in London and the UK. The team at Flannery Plant Hire has collaborated with the West London Green Skills Hub and other employers from the construction industry to make working in the sector more sustainable and inclusive.

Paul Skitt, Skills Development Director at Flannery Plant Hire said: ''Flannery are delighted to be part of the GLA's Green Skills Hub, it helps employers to collaborate, working together to finds solutions to the sustainable jobs of the future''   

Sagar Solank secured a cyber security job at London Learning Grid through the Westminster Adult Education Service Digital Hub despite having no previous experience in IT. Sagar joined the hub’s flagship Amazon Web Services (AWS) re/Start For Success programme, delivered in partnership with the online retailer. The intensive 12-week course focuses on cloud computing, covering databases, programming, IT project management, networking and security.  

Sagar Solank said: "The programme has been absolutely incredible. Personally, It has given me the ability to support my family in a way I never thought possible. Professionally, I'm recognised for the commitment and dedication of my time and energy." Photo by DAVID HOLT from London, England, Wikimedia commons.