Theme 1
Create an integrated jobs, skills, careers and health service for London.
1.1 What further action is needed to better integrate skills, careers, health and employment support services? For example, co-location, community settings, job centres, integration of advice and support for low-income Londoners, data sharing, etc.
Our answer relates primarily to higher education providers but suggests two approaches to integration that could apply equally to creating joined-up support networks where a wider range of training providers are involved as partners.
We suggest, firstly, exploiting opportunities for co-location of services on university estates. London has a unique density of higher education providers, which serve as anchor institutions for their local communities. Not only do many of them recruit and train hyper-local – not to mention socio-economically and ethnically diverse – student bodies; their services and publicly accessible buildings cater to thousands of local residents. This makes them a logical site for support services such as GP surgeries and job centres. Locating services on or near campus would help to improve take-up of the support offer amongst sections of student bodies that constitute ITS priority target groups. For non-student local residents, too, campus-based services would be accessible and visible.
Secondly, greater data integration across different parts of the skills system would help to create more seamless support pathways for priority Londoners as they progress through it. The piloting of a city-wide data hub via the pan-London Get Britain Working trailblazer is a welcome development. As higher education providers are regulated on their progress in supporting ‘at risk’ student groups across their student journeys, the sector collects a wealth of data that could help to target support offered to current students by other parts of the system.
1.2 Where have you seen this done well?
With respect to clustering local services around higher education providers, we would highlight two examples (amongst many such initiatives). The first is Goldsmiths, University of London’s partnership with Amersham Vale GP surgery. This enables all new students to be referred to the practice as a standard part of the induction process and has led to increases in sign-ups as well as engagement with health, mental health and wellbeing support amongst the student body.
The second example is the newly-launched Southwark Health Equity Zone, which brings together King’s College London expertise, community institutions, businesses, Southwark Council, and the NHS. The initiative seeks to drive meaningful change and improve health outcomes through system-level and community-led collaboration (see evidence annex).
Mont Rose College’s outreach provision offers an example of place-based partnership working to promote local skills pathways. The college extends invitations to its course insights events to Redbridge Council and to local employers, which allows them to gain insights into the taught curriculum. This in turn promotes sustained dialogue between the provider, the council and employers around integrating industry-relevant skills into the curriculum.
1.3 How could this be replicated and made systematic across London?
The proposed Sector Employer Boards (SEBs) will have an important role to play in achieving this, especially with regards to targeting employability support towards priority groups.
Feedback from our higher education provider members indicates that many of them offer work experience for students of various kinds, ranging from project-based opportunities and micro-placements through to sandwich years. However, higher education institutions are reliant on their own employer networks to set up partnerships. This variability of offer could be addressed through more strategic partnership working between the SEBs, employers, training providers and other support services, to broker relationships and improve take-up of placement opportunities amongst ITS target groups.
1.4 Recognising the importance of a London-wide strategic vision that supports the integration of services across the capital while supporting good practice already taking place at a local level to meet the need of individual communities; which activities are best done at the local, sub-regional, and/or pan-London level?
In our view, creating an agile system that can operate at different levels simultaneously should form a priority, rather than agreeing rigid distinctions in the way that different activities are delivered. This is because in-region mobility is a characteristic feature of how Londoners engage with education and training (at different levels). They are therefore likely to interact with support services across several different local authority areas, and possibly sub-regional areas too. We know for instance that in areas of high youth deprivation, such as Tower Hamlets, many pupils travel to surrounding boroughs to attend post-16 provision. Many of London’s higher education providers recruit and train large numbers of commuter students (amongst whom ITS priority groups are overrepresented), meaning their external engagement often spans multiple local authorities. Attempting to coordinate support for these Londoners solely at a local/sub-regional or pan-London level is therefore unlikely to meet their needs.
1.5 What is needed to help Londoners navigate the system? In particular, Londoners facing additional barriers to work, or young Londoners that are NEET?
Evidence suggests that the in-school provision of encounters with Further and Higher Education is weaker than other areas of careers advice and guidance – this is true both nationally and in London specifically (see evidence annex). We advocate strengthening this and targeting it towards ITS priority groups in particular. This could be achieved by ensuring continued funding for collaborative, pan-London outreach with schools and colleges – see our answer to question 2.8 for further detail.
A particular challenge that London faces is the distinctiveness of study/career pathways in the creative industries, where freelance and contract work is commonplace. Research indicates an awareness gap amongst young people and a paucity of pre-16 guidance on creative careers and study pathways (see evidence annex). If an aim of the ITS is to diversify the pipeline into the creative industries, it will be important to help Londoners navigate entry pathways into creative jobs in the capital.
London Higher has sought to address this via our CreativeLDN hub (see evidence annex), and our members provide dedicated support for their students in preparing for freelancing and entrepreneurial roles (for instance Goldsmiths, University of London’s SYNAPSE initiative – see evidence annex). A more coordinated approach bringing together training providers, the Careers Hubs, employers and other key stakeholders could help to improve and standardise support.
Theme 2
Grow and diversify workforces in the priority sectors.
2.1 What are the main barriers to grow and diversify workforces in individual sectors?
Certain growth sectors identified in the London Growth Plan (LGP), namely: financial, professional and business services and technology; creative industries and technologies; and frontier innovation, may require an elevated level of technical understanding which is fast evolving alongside the technologies. It is vital that skills provision in these fields – such as apprenticeships – meet delivery mode expectation for learners, and also integrate work-based exposure to real-world technology and their applications, work-based supervision, access to facilities and experts that allow accelerated learning where timely upskilling is critical.
Understanding the state-of-play for the labour market in priority sectors is key to addressing barriers. For example, what do salaries and progression routes look like in these sectors? Can participation be incentivised by better information, advice and guidance across the piece?
There may also be geographic disparities; different London boroughs work differently and have different strengths/clusters. Therefore, it may not be possible to grow or diversify a priority sector’s workforce equally across the city. Due thought must be given to understand what needs to be done at different levels of locality, and how join-up between boroughs can be streamlined.
2.4 What steps could London’s skills and employment system take to help employers access qualified talent and/or support the upskilling and success of their employees?
Clearer understanding of national-level interventions and how they affect regional skills provision is critical. From 2027, modular courses under the lifelong learning entitlement (LLE) aim to support progression into Industrial Strategy priority sectors (IS-8). It would be useful for the GLA to lay out its vision on how these courses, alongside devolved Adult Skills Fund monies, can effectively allow talent to upskill and progress into IS-8 and LGP priority sectors.
The ELBs are positive steps to formalise dialogue between institutions and employers, which would strengthen access to qualified talent. Currently, such relationships may be ad-hoc or individual. Employers sharing data around workforce gaps would help provide an evidence base for curriculum development direction and mapping future course provision.
2.5 How can we better integrate transferable skills needed by employers (for example, problem-solving, digital literacy) across skills provision?
Transferable skills are essential for Londoners to cultivate in order to succeed in the labour market, especially with evolving challenges such as artificial intelligence (AI). These skills, such as problem-solving, digital literacy, and communication, are of course applicable across sectors. Many London Higher members offer short courses that focus on technical transferable skills such as digital and AI literacy (see evidence annex), introducing learners to the fundamentals and often to sector-specific applications of technologies.
Identification of key transferable skills by employers allows flexible provision to be shaped across London, allowing institutions to responsively meet these needs based on existing expertise. For higher-level qualifications (level 4 upwards), transferrable skills can be embedded into the through introductory modules but also beyond the taught curriculum. Wraparound support and creating opportunities for learners to go into the workplace enables these skills to be nurtured. Members identified that positive provider-employer relationships can allow for opportunities such as short-term work experience, spring weeks and mentoring, which serve as valuable mechanisms that facilitate Londoners to hone transferable skills in practical real-life settings.
2.7 Where have you seen successful employer and skills provider partnerships to address skills gaps? Why are they successful?
Our members actively contribute to partnerships tackling skills gaps across London. One key initiative, the West London Green Skills Hub, helps residents in Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, and Hounslow access green skills training and job opportunities. The University of Westminster, Middlesex University London, and Brunel University London work closely with further education colleges, employers, charities, and local authorities to provide the training, support, and connections people need to build successful green careers.
Similarly, the LSBU Green Skills Hub provides green upskilling and job opportunities for residents in Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham. The hub especially focuses on diverse groups that face barriers to employment, supporting inclusive upskilling, training and career progression for those working in green construction, renewable energy and other green sectors. The Skyline Skills Hub also sees LSBU’s involvement, signposting training opportunities, best practice and job vacancies for green skilled workers in the capital’s commercial buildings.
The University of Greenwich Apprenticeship Hub offers people the opportunity to complete Level 4 to Level 6 apprenticeships across the health, construction and engineering sectors. This hub has secured a £1.2 million fund dedicated to supporting underrepresented groups access training and employment in these sectors. Join-up between the university and the NHS have enabled staff to access degree apprenticeships to upskill existing staff, fill workforce gaps and support social mobility. The university has hired apprenticeship coordinators who support employers with compliance and recruitment logistics and advise on the funding and use of the apprenticeship levy.
2.8 How could careers and employment support be strengthened to enable more Londoners to consider careers in growth and priority sectors? are as inclusive as possible?
For higher education, embedding careers and employment support in the curriculum could prove an effective intervention to allow learners to consider careers in growth/priority sectors earlier on in their academic journeys. Kingston University London has embedded assessment centres into its second-year curriculum, preparing students for real-world settings and professional environments, which is attractive to employers. AGCAS (the Association of Graduate Career Advisory Services) notes the effectiveness of assessment centres as a predictor of future learner success in these environments. If employers worked with providers across the capital, they could develop assessment centres tailored to growth sectors, thereby increasing learner exposure to careers in those fields.
In addition, we urge the GLA to lend its support to efforts to secure long-term, sustainable funding from government for a successor programme to Uni Connect. This is important because entry to many careers in the stated growth/priority sectors will require higher level skills. The Uni Connect programme provides vital advice and guidance infrastructure in the form of targeted support (whether information, advice and guidance (IAG) or more sustained skills-, knowledge- and confidence-building interventions for groups least likely to progress to level 4+ learning) around local higher education options and graduate careers specifically. In London specifically, the programme complements the work of London’s Careers Hubs. Funding for Uni Connect is currently guaranteed up to July 2026. If this were to discontinue, careers support focussed around graduate and higher technical routes into priority sectors in London would be significantly less well-resourced.
2.8 How can we better enable schools, skills providers and higher education institutions to meet the demand for current and future skills in growth sectors?
Constant and effective dialogue between the skills sector and employers is crucial to understanding the demand for current skills needs – and forecasting future needs – in growth sectors. It is important that developments in practice or technologies are acknowledged, and their impact examined, to ensure that curricula and skills provision remain relevant and appropriately prepare Londoners for careers in these sectors.
The employer-led boards (ELBs) will be hugely important in ensuring that skills providers are kept informed of growth sector trends, especially if the ELBs are envisioned to take on some of the functions of the current Mayoral skills academies.
Embedding knowledge of frontier innovation sectors into the secondary curriculum will also require upskilling teachers and exposing them to academic discoveries and new research in areas such as climate change/net zero and beyond. King’s College London has for example launched a teacher CPD partnership with United Learning to this effect.
Theme 3
Support Londoners that face barriers to work to get quality jobs or become self-employed, adding to London’s supply of workers.
3.1 What other barriers might Londoners face to accessing work or training?
Beyond the barriers outlined above, Londoners face challenges rooted in fragmented systems and inconsistent access to information and support. Borough boundaries can unintentionally restrict access to housing, health services, and mental health support, particularly for young people and those with complex needs. The disjointed nature of services across boroughs limits continuity of care – for instance when a young person accessing counselling in one borough loses access after moving into university accommodation in another – and disrupts pathways into employment and training.
London’s higher education institutions (HEIs) witness first-hand the impact this has on young Londoners, particularly in relation to poor mental health and limited access to support. For many, especially those from minoritised backgrounds or with limited English proficiency, these barriers intersect and deepen exclusion.
HEIs also report difficulty navigating different borough priorities as well as the varying needs of different careers and employment services, political constraints, and delivery models, leading to duplication and inefficiencies. There is untapped potential in research across London’s universities – such as public health research based around participatory or community-centred projects – that could be used to design more effective, locally responsive interventions. HEIs can act as anchor institutions across borough lines, helping to mitigate inconsistency in service provision and offer continuity for learners facing disruption. Better integration of HEIs would help address entrenched inequalities and support evidence-based, inclusive economic growth.
3.2 What steps can London government, employers, skills, employment and health providers take to better address these barriers?
Greater integration and collaboration would facilitate the development of joined-up, cross-sectoral responses. London’s HEIs are well placed to support this but require structured engagement mechanisms, whether through systematic inclusion in local skills and employment boards or sub-regional partnerships that can sustain coordinated work to address these barriers.
Widening participation work remains critical and impactful; programmes such as Uni Connect provide early, targeted outreach and progression support but need sustained funding in order to maximise reach. Investing in data-sharing and infrastructure between schools, colleges, and providers would bolster widening participation efforts and improve transition support between education stages.
Supporting mental and physical health through a person-centred model is crucial. Many HEIs already provide substantial in-house support, but challenges remain when students move boroughs and lose access to local care. London government should work with NHS partners to explore implementation of processes that maintain continuity of care across borough boundaries, particularly for vulnerable groups.
Employers also have a key role here – government should incentivise inclusive hiring and progression practices, including flexible working, fair recruitment, and disability schemes. London Higher is an active member of the London Anchor Institutions’ Network (LAIN) and its Hiring and Skills working group, which is committed to identifying and addressing barriers to work, inclusive recruitment and workplace cultures, and enabling all Londoners (especially those from ITS priority groups) to access good work and training.
3.3 What national changes might be required to enable some of these barriers to be addressed?
Skills providers and employers require more clarity around the new Growth and Skills Levy, and how this mechanism will effectively enable them to upskill their workforce. The Industrial Strategy notes that short courses in England funded through this levy will support the nationally identified priority sectors (e.g. creative industries and advanced manufacturing). Understanding which courses will be prioritised for the first wave of rollouts, how they sit alongside the wider skills system (such as apprenticeships), and how they can support LGP priority sectors would be welcomed by HEIs.
Sustained funding for widening participation and outreach programmes such as Uni Connect must be protected, as these programmes are essential for supporting underrepresented learners and building early, trusted relationships with communities facing systemic exclusion. National government must work with the OfS and DfE to ensure a coherent framework for regional higher education access partnerships is implemented, recognising the distinct economic and demographic landscape of London. Current uncertainty around the future of regional access structures must be resolved to avoid a vacuum in cross-institutional collaboration.
3.4 How can we create clearer pathways for Londoners to transition from lower to higher level learning and into employment?
Clearer progression pathways require cross-sector coordination and a commitment to placing the learner at the centre of pathway design. A structured London Essential Skills Offer, delivered collaboratively by colleges, universities, and training providers, should include well-signposted, flexible routes into higher education and work, with wraparound support for underrepresented learners.
HEIs already play a crucial role in bridging skills gaps, though progression from entry-level to higher qualifications can be stymied without tailored guidance and targeted funding. A city-wide learner ‘passport’, backed by employer recognition and digital verification, could enable learners to track skills acquisition and transition confidently through the system. HEIs should be drawn on to expand modular learning offers, enabling upskilling without full-time study, and to co-design sector-specific pathways with employers. Employer Advisory Boards linked to groups of providers could strengthen alignment between local growth needs and qualifications.
Pathways must also be developed in recognition of the different needs and barriers of learners and sectors. The system should be adaptable and able to offer a range of alternative routes into work and self-employment, including accessible re-entry points. The Lifelong Learning Entitlement, underpinned by consistent funding and strong institutional collaboration, will be central to achieving this.
3.7 Are there examples of good practice in addressing the affordability of childcare, housing and transport to support people into work?
Our members are committed to increasing affordability throughout the educational journey and into the workplace. AccessHE’s 2024 report ‘Opportunity Cost: Access to HE and the cost of living crisis in London’, highlights how inflationary pressures and increasing costs have led to widespread challenges for current students in supporting themselves financially.
In 2022, London Higher also published a cost-of-living guide outlining a series of actions that could alleviate affordability concerns for learners including:
- Reduced travel costs: the majority of London learners use public transport, and London has a high proportion of commuter students. Reduced travel costs would ease accessibility.
- Increased maintenance loans and bursaries: financial support for learners for travel or via hardship funds, including regular updating of these resources.
- Technology grants: Financial aid to help with access to internet and essential technology needed for learning, such as laptops.
- IAG: ensuring effective and clearly visible support in this area, including help around financial literacy, can help learners understand the opportunities open to them.
Through a presence on the London Partnership Board and LAIN, London Higher closely follows developments around increasing affordability of childcare, housing and transport. We have also responded to the London Plan consultation, noting that adequate provision of purpose-built student accommodation and affordable (student) housing can alleviate pressure on the private rental market and increase affordability for all Londoners. Housing is not an issue that universities can address at scale, so city-wide support and planning decisions that aid efforts to reduce inequality are welcomed by the sector.
3.9 How can we help self-employed Londoners thrive by accessing the skills, experience and networks they need?
Universities in London are civic-minded and offer substantial support to businesses and local citizens in the form of small business/tax accountancy clinics, pro bono legal advice, leadership upskilling, and community advocacy (see evidence annex). Joining up this ecosystem, for example through initiatives like Grow London Local, would help to capture the existing support on offer. This would help identify areas in which further support for self-employed Londoners may be needed. Liaising with representative bodies that can effectively convey the concerns of self-employed small business owners (such as the Federation of Small Businesses), would improve regional government’s understanding of the barriers. Gaps in provision could then be effectively identified and addressed.
With 41% of Londoners being born outside the UK, there are many that may have English as a second language, meaning that support and guidance should be available in range of languages to remove barriers to access. In addition, expanding and making ESOL provision readily available to non-native speakers would also facilitate their understanding of the resources on offer – especially if these are tailored, such as English for business use. For example, King’s College London’s Empower ESOL delivered with King’s parent action group, Empoderando Familias, South London Citizens and English for Action helps Latin American parents navigate local systems that affect them. By improving proficiency and confidence in speaking English, parents gain increased understanding of the UK educational system, higher education, housing, legal rights, healthcare and employability.
Theme 5
Give Londoners the skills to be resilient to big shifts in the labour market – AI, the transition to net zero and increased climate resilience – and fill the job opportunities these generate.
5.1 What work are you doing to consider how jobs and talent pipelines are changing due to big shifts in the economy such as AI and the green transition?
London Higher facilitates discussions about green skills, careers and training opportunities. Our Sustainability and Enterprise networks provide an environment where member institutions can raise issues or share individual and collaborative best practice in addressing changing workforce demands. The University of Reading’s Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship scheme offers 400 undergraduate students up to £6,000 of annual funding for study in a sustainability course of their choice. The university has successfully signposted applicable courses (see evidence annex). London’s universities apply a Living Labs model such as the UCL Urban Laboratory and the University of Westminster Cavendish Living Lab, enabling students to apply sustainability learning to real-life settings, preparing them for industry application of green teaching.
London Higher has held workshops and roundtables, as well as publishing blogs and reports (linked) on the growing role of AI in London’s higher education sector. UCL and Imperial are participating in the Spärck AI scholarship programme, backed by £17.2 million in government funding. 100 master’s level students will receive funding to support their AI skill development and innovation and will experience industry partnerships that create direct entry points into the UK technology workforce. King’s College London’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence supports AI skills growth in the capital with a new MSc, AI for Science, and offers research and analysis on the ways that AI will reshape employment. Community understanding of AI is supported by the annual King’s Festival of Artificial Intelligence.
5.2 How can a more employer-led skills system act as an early warning system for identifying and adapting to key skills needs resulting from shifts in the labour market?
More direct communication channels between training providers and employers would be the likely result of an employer-led skills system. This means that one or more employers can identify immediate or future skills needs within their workforce and notify higher education institutions, enabling them to respond proactively. The result: a quicker transition towards closing skills gaps as provision and subsequent delivery is more directly correlated to what current industry demands.
London’s higher education institutions seek to work directly with employers to identify and adapt to current and future skills needs. While some higher education institutions already benefit from collaboration here, such as through the skills hubs mentioned in Q2.7, others still require stronger employer input and clearer data to demonstrate the need for changes in teaching provision, whether in existing programmes or newly developed courses. An employer-led skills system can create an environment in which there is open, direct communication between employers and higher education institutions who can agilely react to industry needs and create changes to provision and graduate skillsets to ensure readiness for employers.
5.3 What changes are needed in the skills system to support emerging skills requirements?
Collaboration between higher education institutions and further education colleges is essential to building a stronger, more integrated skills system. Colleges and universities should work together to develop seamless pathways that enable students to meet industry skills needs. Each sector brings valuable insights – particularly in relation to their connections with employers and industry – and there is much they can learn from one another. Subtle changes need to be made to existing provision to address changing skills needs. Clear, accessible and inclusive routes from T Levels and apprenticeships into foundation and undergraduate degrees must also be established. The LSBU Group has created consistent curricula with academic and vocational choices at every level of education including apprenticeship and T-Level pathways and resident upskilling as part of their Green Skills Hub. Bath Spa University London collaborates with (and is co-located with) New City College to offer degree apprenticeships, foundation and full degrees, short courses and CPD modules.
London’s employers and universities should harness mutually beneficial partnerships to ensure a successful skills-system. Each offer opportunities for the other, whether this be a university’s rich talent pool and research capacity or an employer’s work environment and industry connections. Regular dialogue between the two will create join-up, with employers shaping curricula and provision that reflects industry need. Apprenticeships, especially in priority sectors, create a productive workforce that fulfils sector needs. Whilst the LSBU Group partners with 2,000 organisations and employers, some members have expressed significant difficulty in industry partnership, collaboration and communication.
5.4 Where do you see additional opportunities for more investment into green skills in London? How could this be coordinated?
We welcome the announcement in the Industrial Strategy bringing forward three packages targeted at upskilling in IS-8 sectors, including technology, engineering and defence. The promised investment in construction skills will also prove critical to building a workforce that can deliver against the London Plan. Additional opportunities could be coordinated at national level to bring more investment into green skills in London as part of the announced packages (e.g. green skills in construction), or as workstreams funded by the Adult Skills Fund or the proposed new fund to reduce key skills gap (another one-year action under the LGP).
Whilst initiatives such as Local Skills Improvement Plans and the sub-regional partnerships support greater collaboration between business and education providers, the long-term decline in business investment in education and skills needs to be addressed and reversed. Business investment in skills training has fallen by nearly 20% since 2011, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). At the same time, the proportion of UK employers providing training has also declined. Employers must invest in developing their staff’s green skills to support career progression and respond to evolving workforce demands. This can be achieved by embedding sustainability-focused training and apprenticeships into staff development strategies. By partnering with universities and local green skills hubs, employers can also access support with apprenticeship delivery, including guidance on utilising the Apprenticeship Levy.
5.5 Do the priority sectors for green skills seem right to you? (Homes and Building, Energy & Power, Transport, and Green & Blue Infrastructure) Are there other sectors you would prioritise and why?
The identified sectors are vital to London’s skills strategy in the coming years. However, we should recognise that each priority sector will require a strong foundation in engineering skills to ensure their sustainability success. London’s higher education institutions are reporting difficulty in change existing provision of engineering courses in line with sustainability legislation and thinking. Whether it is persuading students that their course of study directly or indirectly contributes to the green transition or building the foundational climate literacy needed by both lecturers and students, join-up here is proving challenging.
Law should be a priority sector for green upskilling. Traditional environmental law is changing as stricter sustainability legislation is directed at employers. London’s position as a global hub for law, alongside the technological and financial sectors, makes it well placed to support law upskilling. It is crucial to understanding, unpacking and explaining changing sustainability legislation aimed at addressing the capital’s green transition. Three of London’s universities sit in the top 20 for legal studies, meaning there is an opportunity for London’s higher education sector to facilitate significant change here.
The financial sector may contribute to the green transition through the workforce upskilling towards climate finance, green bonds and investment and ESG management.
Some of London’s higher education institutions expressed a concern about how they can monitor and measure the progress they make in contributing to green upskilling in the identified sectors. There needs to be a clear, streamlined approach to measuring so institutions feel they can evidence progress sufficiently.
5.6 What interventions might help to increase apprenticeships starts, completions and work experience placements in these priority green sectors in London?
Several London universities have already established effective apprenticeship and green skills hubs, as outlined in section 2.7, which actively promote green apprenticeships. For example, the University of Greenwich’s Apprenticeship Hub offers green apprenticeships directly and in partnership with the Green Careers Hub. Similarly, the LSBU Green Skills Hub highlights green apprenticeship vacancies and provides tailored guidance for applicants. These existing models demonstrate how London’s universities can develop or expand their own green apprenticeship hubs to better connect students with emerging opportunities in the green economy.
Employers should be provided with clearer guidance on the Apprenticeship Levy to ensure they fully understand how to access and maximise available funding. With improved understanding, employers can make more effective use of levy funds to create new apprenticeship roles and invest in the training of both new recruits and existing staff. Expanding internal staff development through apprenticeships and work placements helps address skills gaps and supports career progression. Additionally, levy-paying employers have the option to transfer up to 25% of their funds to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), enabling greater collaboration and opening new apprenticeship and work experience opportunities for smaller businesses.
Theme 6
Promotion of London’s skills sector internationally and making sure London remains attractive for the best talent in the world.
6.1 How do we attract skilled workers to come to live and work in London, particularly in growth sectors? How can we work with international partners to do this?
London’s higher education sector must be central to any strategy for attracting skilled workers to priority industries. Global talent powers London’s frontier innovation, and universities provide the most effective pipeline for cultivating this international expertise. Students who come to London for degrees in anticipation of careers in AI, life sciences, and frontier innovations often embark on full careers here, contributing invaluable expertise to London’s economy.
London’s universities represent the most effective channel for skilled worker recruitment, with London consistently ranked top globally as a study destination. Many priority sectors from the government’s industrial strategy have symbiotic relationships with higher education, making universities natural partners for promoting these industries globally. London’s internationally recognised excellence in life sciences exemplifies this approach. QS subject rankings put two London universities in the global top ten for life sciences – with the UK outperforming all European nations.
However, current immigration policies, including the proposed levy on international students and graduate visa reductions, threaten this crucial talent pipeline. International students are a key part of London’s skilled workforce, and we are urging the government to rethink the levy proposed in the immigration white paper to reflect this.
International collaborations should leverage and expand upon universities’ existing global networks, research collaborations, and alumni connections, positioning London as the premier destination for career advancement in priority sectors, and encourage collaboration with London & Partners, Study UK and DBT to achieve this.
6.2 How do we continue to promote London as an attractive study destination?
Promoting London as an attractive study destination requires urgent, coordinated action to maintain the city’s competitive edge against global rivals. The London Growth Plan rightly positions London’s higher education sector alongside New York, Boston, Paris and the San Francisco Bay Area, but this status cannot be taken for granted. London faces an increasingly unfavourable policy landscape. Should the measures outlined in the Immigration White Paper be implemented, London’s university sector could stand to lose £196m along with risking its global reputation.
The significant scaling back of the British Council’s GREAT Campaign creates a critical gap for competitors to exploit. We invite the GLA to support and expand the Study London campaign, which promotes London as a destination for study in key international markets, advocating on behalf of the city collectively as no single institution can.
Effective destination marketing requires substantial investment to have a tangible impact. As London’s growth agency, we also urge London & Partners to work with Study London to amplify and support the campaign.
By supporting this initiative and similar collaborative efforts, key stakeholders can create a system of awareness, attraction, conversion and advocacy that sustains and advances London’s position as the world’s premier study destination, generating lifelong advocates who champion London globally.
Furthermore, the Mayor’s voice as a thought leader could powerfully counter negative immigration rhetoric whilst showcasing London’s welcoming environment and global opportunities, and we welcome his interventions in this space.
6.3 What can we do reduce the barriers for skilled workers that want to come to and stay in London?
An essential element of making London attractive and competitive compared to other global cities is helping graduating international students navigate pathways to stay in the UK and contribute to London’s local economy and the national economy. Following the curtailment of the graduate route visa, higher education institutions and employers will need clarity, guidance and practical support to create a positive environment for qualified and skilled international students to stay and work in London.
Work is needed with both international students and employers to help them understand how to navigate job and visa applications. Employers looking to recruit highly-skilled graduates in priority areas may require support drafting job descriptions and explaining sponsorships and visa processes. Encouraging employers to employ those on the graduate route visa, despite the 18-month term, would also enable skilled workers to build their careers and look for future longer-term roles in London.
Prospective international students may be concerned about getting jobs that meet the salary requirements to stay in the UK after graduation. Platforms such as migreats host jobs boards which advertise sponsored roles for skilled workers and also provide wraparound support to upskill and prepare this talent for the workplace (such as coaching and CV advice). This makes employer-talent relations more porous and reduces barriers for those wishing to stay in the UK.
Bibliography
Question 1.2
King’s College London. 2025. “Southwark Health Equity Zone”. Available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/southwark-health-equity-zone
Question 1.5
The Careers & Enterprise Company. 2024. “Insight Briefing: Gatsby Benchmark results for 2023/24”. Available at: https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/media/i1ieae2n/1944-insight-briefing-gatsby-benchmark-results-for-2023_24-v7.pdf
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Question 2.5
King’s College London. 2023. “New free course to help HE sector understand AI impact”. Available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/helping-higher-education-sector-understand-ai
University of London. 2025. “MOOC: Machine Learning for All”. Available at: https://www.london.ac.uk/study/courses/moocs/machine-learning-all
City St George’s. 2025. “Short course: Introduction to Conversational and Generative AI”. Available at: https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/prospective-students/courses/short-courses/introduction-to-conversational-and-generative-ai
University of the West of Scotland London Campus. 2025. “A practical introduction to artificial intelligence”. Available at: https://www.uwslondon.ac.uk/cpd-courses/a-practical-introduction-to-artificial-intelligence/
Question 2.7
University of Greenwich. 2025. “Apprenticeships: apply”. Available at: https://www.gre.ac.uk/apprenticeships/apply
West London Green Skills Hub. 2025. “Welcome”. Available at: https://www.westlondongreenskills.co.uk/
London South Bank University Green Skills Hub. 2025. “Kickstart your net zero career today”. Available at: https://www.lsbugreenskills.com/
Skyline Skills Hub. 2025. “Let’s get ready to build a more sustainable city”. Available at: https://skylineskillshub.co.uk/
Question 2.8
Darren Clarke and Zoe Conlon (Kingston University London). 2024. “Embedding assessment centre: do’s and don’ts”. Available at: https://researchinnovation.kingston.ac.uk/en/publications/embedding-assessment-centre-dos-and-donts-2
Question 3.7
Dr Richard Boffey and Mair Lawrence-Matthews (London Higher and AccessHE). 2024. “Opportunity Cost: Access to HE and the cost of living crisis in London”. Available at: https://londonhigher.ac.uk/resource/opportunity-cost-access-to-he-and-the-cost-of-living-crisis-in-london/
London Higher. 2022. “Cost of Living in London 2022-23″. Available at: https://londonhigher.ac.uk/resource/cost-of-living-in-london-2022-2023/
Question 3.9
London South Bank University. 2023. “270 businesses supported by London South Bank University to increase earnings”. Available at: https://www.lsbu.ac.uk/about-us/news/270-businesses-supported-by-london-south-bank-university-to-increase-earnings
School of Advanced Study, University of London. 2025. “Refugee Law Clinic”. Available at: https://rli.sas.ac.uk/projects-0/refugee-law-clinic
University of East London. 2025. “Advancing Resource Efficiency and Urban Ecology Innovations” Available at: https://www.uel.ac.uk/our-research/research-school-architecture-computing-engineering/sustainability-research-institute-sri/arena
London Metropolitan University. 2025. “Small business clinic”. Available at: https://www.londonmet.ac.uk/services-and-facilities/small-business-clinic/
King’s College London. 2025. “Empoderando Familias, Parents”. Available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/social-mobility/student-supporters/parent-carer/empoderando-familias-parents
King’s College London. 2025. “EmpowerESOL: Supporting local Latin American parents”. Available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/empoweresol
Question 5.1
King’s College London and Cornell University. 2025. “Artiicial Intelligence and the Future of Occupations: Comparative Perspectives from the US and the UK”. Available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/artificial-intelligence-and-the-future-of-occupations-comparative-perspectives-from-the-us-and-the-uk
University College London. 2025. “UCL to host AI scholars as part of UK Government’s tech talent programme”. Available at: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/jun/ucl-host-ai-scholars-part-uk-governments-tech-talent-programme
London Higher. 2024. “Perspectives on the role of London’s higher education sector in global AI leadership: A collection of essays”. Available at: https://londonhigher.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Perspectives-on-the-role-of-Londons-HE-sector-in-global-AI-leadership.pdf
London Higher. 2024. “Fostering collaboration for London’s AI ecosystem”. Available at: https://londonhigher.ac.uk/blog/fostering-collaboration-for-londons-ai-ecosystem/
London HIgher. 2025. “London Higher responds to AI Growth Zones”. Available at: https://londonhigher.ac.uk/london-higher-responds-to-ai-growth-zones/
University of Reading. 2025. “Courses with focus on climate and sustainability”. Available at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/planet/our-programmes/taught-courses
Question 5.2
Institute for Fiscal Studies. 2023. “Investment in training and skills: Green Budget 2023 – Chapter 9’. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/investment-training-and-skills
Question 5.3
London South Bank University. 2025. “LSBU Group”. Available at: https://www.lsbu.ac.uk/about-us/lsbu-group
Bath Spa University. 2021. “Bath Spa University and New City College cofnirm new strategic educational partnership”. Available at: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/bath-spa-new-city-college-partnership/
London South Bank University. 2025. “Employer sponsored study”. Available at: https://www.lsbu.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/employer-sponsored-study
Question 5.4
Institute for Fiscal Studies. 2023. “Investment in training and skills: Green Budget 2023 – Chapter 9’. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/investment-training-and-skills
Question 6.3
Migreats. 2025. “Migreats”. Available at: https://www.migreats.com/
