On 15 September, BusinessLDN brought together employers, education and training providers, policymakers and partners at the University of Westminster to launch the 2026 London Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP). The plan sets out a shared vision for how London can build a more responsive, inclusive and effective skills system.
Developed by BusinessLDN in partnership with the Greater London Authority, the new LSIP reflects the collective ambition of organisations across the capital to better understand and respond to the skills needs of London’s economy.
The launch provided an opportunity to celebrate the publication of the plan, hear from key stakeholders and, importantly, begin the conversation about how its priorities can be translated into practical action.
Opening the event, Professor Dibyesh Anand, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Global Mobility and Employability at the University of Westminster, highlighted the important role universities play in connecting education with opportunity and supporting London’s future workforce.
Muniya Barua, Deputy Chief Executive of BusinessLDN, chaired the launch and emphasised the paradox at the heart of London’s labour market. The capital has one of the most highly qualified workforces in the world, yet employers continue to report significant skills shortages, while London also has the highest unemployment rate in the country. Bridging this gap will be critical to London’s future economic success. Businesses need access to the skills and talent required to grow, while Londoners need clear routes into good jobs and opportunities to develop their careers.
This is where the LSIP can make a significant contribution: helping to strengthen the connection between the skills employers need and the education and training being delivered across the capital.
The 2026 plan builds on the evidence and engagement gathered through the previous LSIP, while responding to how London’s economy and labour market have evolved.
Digital and AI skills feature more prominently, reflecting the rapid changes taking place across workplaces and industries. The plan also places a stronger emphasis on work readiness and transferable skills, recognising that technical knowledge is only one part of what employers need from the workforce of the future.
For businesses, particularly smaller employers, finding the right training and understanding how to engage with education and skills providers can be challenging. A more accessible and connected system can help employers play a greater role in shaping provision and developing the talent they need.
The launch also underscored the importance of working across London rather than in isolation.
Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor for Business and Growth at the Greater London Authority, spoke about the role the LSIP can play alongside the Mayor of London’s Inclusive Talent Strategy and AI Taskforce, as well as the potential for further devolution to accelerate delivery on skills in the capital.
The publication of the LSIP marks an important milestone, but it is not the end of the process. The next challenge is delivery. As Mark Hilton, Policy Delivery Director of BusinessLDN, emphasised, the priority now is not another conversation about whether skills matter. The evidence is clear. The focus must be on turning that evidence into practical change.
That means continuing to bring employers and providers together, testing new approaches, learning what works and measuring the impact.
It also means creating more opportunities for businesses to engage with the skills system – from helping shape provision to working with educators on work experience, careers and pathways into employment.
The challenges facing the capital’s labour market are significant, but so too is the opportunity. By better connecting employers, education providers, policymakers and Londoners, the city can build a skills system that responds more effectively to changing economic needs while opening opportunity to a wider range of people.
The launch of the 2026 London LSIP is therefore a starting point as much as a milestone. The plan sets out the priorities, the evidence is there, the partnerships are in place. Now comes the task of turning ambition into action, action into impact, and impact into measurable outcomes for businesses and Londoners.
At BusinessLDN, we look forward to continuing to work with the GLA and our partners across the capital to deliver the plan and help build a more skilled, inclusive and productive London.
We look forward to collaborating with businesses and education providers on transforming the London skills system.
To get further involved and hear more, contact skills@businessldn.co.uk.