London Higher welcomes the Greater London Authority (GLA) and London Councils’ Inclusive Talent Strategy, which provides an opportunity for London’s higher education community to play its part in getting more Londoners into high quality jobs, whilst supporting London’s businesses to tap into the skills and talents that they need to thrive. The strategy builds on the ambitions set out in the London Growth Plan, which recognises higher education as a cornerstone of the capital’s success.
The inclusive talent strategy arrives in the same week as the Government’s Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, which calls for greater collaboration across education and skills in place, celebrates the diversity of provision in the UK, and emphasises the need for flexible pathways that connect learning to economic opportunity. Together, these initiatives provide London’s universities and colleges to work together as a region, with further education providers, and with employers to ensure the talent pipeline meets both local and national needs.
London Higher’s Chief Executive Liz Hutchinson said:
“With more universities and colleges than any other city in the world, London offers an unparalleled diversity of educational opportunities to learners, along with huge opportunities for businesses to find the skills they need among the hundreds of thousands of graduates who enter the workforce each year.
“Our institutions are proud to support their local communities in London, and the inclusive talent strategy provides even more impetus to their efforts to break down the barriers that stand in the way of Londoners accessing the education they need to reach their potential.
“Now is the time to be bold in how we collaborate as a region to create growth and opportunity for all Londoners. We look forward to working ever closer with the GLA, employers and educators to deliver on this shared ambition.”
In February, London Higher will host the 2026 AccessHE conference and publish research that will set out how deeper regional collaboration involving higher education can open up routes into high quality jobs for London’s diverse communities.
Image credit: London Higher member, Royal Collage of Art.
