Skills, Talent and Immigration
Championing talent from home and abroad
London’s success relies on a skills and talent system that works for both businesses and people. Employers need reliable access to the talent that enables them to grow their business, while Londoners need clear pathways to develop the skills required to thrive in a fast-changing economy.
The focus of our activity is on putting employers at the heart of the skills system, working closely with education providers and all levels of London government; championing London’s world-class universities and the vital role they play in research, innovation and economic growth; getting more people into good jobs by tackling barriers to labour market inclusion; and ensuring London remains open to highly skilled workers from across the globe and to international students.
We also lead the London Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) in partnership with the Greater London Authority, FSB London, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and CBI London to better match the skills businesses need with those delivered by education providers; to help people navigate the skills and careers system; and to build a joined-up approach that connects employer demand with high-quality training, opens opportunities for Londoners from all backgrounds, and strengthens the capital’s position as a global magnet for talent.
An employer-led skills system
Through our leadership of the LSIP, we are reshaping how London’s skills system operates by placing employers’ insights at its core. Through this work, we are:
- Aligning training provision with real-world business needs.
- Bringing employers and educators together to co-design curricula.
- Supporting the development of industry-informed immersive training facilities across the capital.
- Providing high-quality data to shape national, regional and Mayoral policy.
- Helping smaller firms to navigate the skills landscape through Grow London Local.
This approach is already delivering results – from new creative studios at Capital City College Group to an employer-designed Retail Skills Hub at Westfield with West London College – demonstrating how business involvement can transform local provision.
Read the latest LSIP Progress Report to see how we are helping to make the skills system work better for the capital.
Apprenticeships and training reform
We have long championed reform of the Apprenticeship Levy, making the case for a more flexible, business-friendly system that better reflects the realities of workforce development. With the Government now transitioning the Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy – offering greater flexibility, modular training options and stronger support for SMEs – many of the changes we called for are finally being realised.
Our priorities now focus on ensuring the new system works for London’s employers by:
- Unlocking flexibility, enabling businesses to use levy funds for shorter, modular and high-value training – including new “apprenticeship units” in areas like AI, digital and engineering.
- Supporting SMEs, with fully-funded training for under-25s forming part of the new approach
- Strengthening pathways into high-growth sectors where demand for skills is accelerating.
- Championing quality, ensuring that apprenticeships and new modular routes deliver the skills employers truly need.
This work sits within our wider ambition to build a skills system that is responsive, agile and aligned to London’s economic priorities.
Shaping the national skills landscape
Our London-focused work is reinforced by our engagement with the Government on wider national skills reform. We are helping to shape the direction of the UK’s skills system through the establishment of Skills England, the development of the post-16 Skills Strategy and the transition from the Apprenticeship Levy to a more flexible Growth and Skills Levy, ensuring these reforms align with employer needs and support long-term growth across the capital and the country.
A new vision for London’s careers system
London’s careers support is still too fragmented and inconsistent. We continue to call for a dedicated London-wide Careers Service – a one-stop shop that would:
- Make high-quality careers advice accessible to every Londoner.
- Support young people transitioning from education into work.
- Enable adults to reskill, switch sectors or rejoin the labour market.
- Evolve quickly to reflect economic and technological change, including AI.
Immigration and global talent
A thriving London depends on its ability to attract, retain and support skilled workers from around the world. We advocate for an immigration system that works for business and the wider economy.
Our priorities include:
- Ensuring employers can access overseas talent to fill skills shortages.
- Protecting the value international students bring to London’s universities and economy.
- Making the system fairer, clearer and more responsive to economic need.
London’s position as a Global Talent Hub is fundamental to its competitiveness – and we work to ensure that remains the case.
AI, future workforce and business preparedness
In partnership with Deloitte, we are helping businesses understand how AI will reshape work – from changing skills needs to new workforce structures. This work sits at the intersection of competitiveness, innovation and long-term workforce planning, ensuring London’s labour market can adapt and succeed.
Building an inclusive workforce
A more inclusive labour market is essential to London’s long-term success, giving firms the competitive edge. Through our partnerships with Change the Race Ratio, Journi and vocL, we have helped employers:
- Share and adopt best practice on representation, progression and workplace culture.
- Open up recruitment pathways for underrepresented groups.
- Equip leaders to embed inclusion in workforce strategy.
- Strengthen London’s competitive advantage through diverse, innovative teams.
A fairer, more inclusive labour market benefits Londoners – and strengthens London’s global competitiveness.
What success looks like
A skills and talent system that works for London is:
- Simple – coordinated, coherent and easy to navigate
- Responsive – shaped by employers and agile to change
- Local – with decisions and funding closer to communities
- Accountable – delivering real outcomes for learners and employers
Our Track Record
Our previous work includes:
A skills system built for London’s future
London’s success depends on fixing its skills system, yet employers and learners still face a landscape that can be complex, fragmented and slow to respond to changing economic needs. We continue to advocate for bold, practical reforms that bring together employer insight, public leadership, and the innovation and investment of the private sector to build a system that genuinely delivers for Londoners and the businesses that rely on their talent.
Our goal: To build a skills and talent system that enables businesses to grow and gives Londoners the opportunity to succeed.