This week, 91¶¶Òù was delighted to see the approval of its London Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP). The LSIP is an ambitious plan to tackle employers’ skills shortages, address inequality and boost labour market inclusion in London, following the biggest data deep dive on these issues that the capital has ever seen. It outlines a blueprint for tackling some of the biggest challenges in London’s labour market, including better matching the supply of training with employer demand for new skills.
LSIPs are an initiative funded by the Department for Education, which aim to bring employers, educators and other key stakeholders together to transform the local skills system. Over the last 10 months, 91¶¶Òù and its partners have conducted extensive qualitative and quantitative research on employer skills needs and system issues, engaging more than 1,000 employers, training providers, and key London stakeholders to build a granular picture of London’s labour market and create a plan for the capital.
This deep engagement garnered rich data on the capital’s key skills shortages, including electric vehicle charging point installers and sustainability managers, both essential and advanced digital skills including AI, and transferable skills including critical thinking and resilience. The work also shone a light on how labour market inclusion is a huge issue across London, with multiple barriers faced by disadvantaged groups in finding employment and building successful careers.
ROADMAP TO A BETTER SKILLS FUTURE
The London LSIP sets out a roadmap for delivering the priority actions necessary to get London’s skills system firing on all cylinders for the benefit of employers and all Londoners. The roadmap has been organised around five major areas which identify what key actors (such as employers, providers, and London government) should be doing to drive forward the LSIP in:
- Meeting London’s skills needs
- Supporting and galvanising business action
- Delivering a skills system that is fit-for-purpose
- Building an inclusive London workforce
- Tackling sector specific priorities
These priority actions aim to be simple to understand, measurable and therefore actionable discrete tasks which together make up a roadmap for a better skills future for London. Some of the key priorities and recommendations included within the LSIP are:
- For transferable skills and Essential Digital Skills (EDS) to be embedded as a core part of training provision funded by London’s Adult Education Budget (AEB), which is managed by the GLA.
- The introduction of a ​‘London Recruitment & Skills Support Hub’ including an advice and guidance (IAG) function to help employers, especially SMEs, navigate the employment and skills systems including support with apprenticeship access.
- Galvanising more employers to sign up to the Mayor’s Good Work Standard, which includes a commitment to lifelong learning and paying the London Living Wage.
- For continued growth of more modular, flexible approaches to the delivery of training.
- The creation of a one-stop-shop model to support job seekers that brings together the co-location of employment support, careers advice, and skills support modernised through private sector expertise.
- For businesses and London government to work with the London Office of Technology & Innovation (LOTI) to support and amplify its ​‘Get London Online’ campaign to help disadvantaged Londoners gain access to devices, connectivity, and learn digital skills.
The overarching goal of these actions and the roadmap for delivery is to get more Londoners into better, higher-paying jobs by more closely matching training provision to employer demand.
91¶¶Òù will be holding a launch event in September to bring together key stakeholders to celebrate the publication of the report and look ahead to implementing it.
NEXT STEPS: DELIVERING ON THE PLAN
Beginning in the autumn, 91¶¶Òù’s focus now moves to the next phase of the LSIP. In stage two, the delivery of the LSIP’s roadmap becomes the core task. During this stage, 91¶¶Òù will work to embed the LSIP in London, building support for it and the individual actions it contains through convening employers, providers, London government and others and policy makers. A particular focus will be on identifying and putting in place the best business/​educator partnership for driving up London’s advanced digital skills capability.
In the context of a challenging labour market, the LSIP represents a key turning point for employers. We have a compelling plan in place and quality training providers ready to work with business to meet their priority skills needs. The London LSIP represents a clear opportunity to finally shift the dial on skills in London and together we must grasp it.
Please get in touch with Programme Director, People and Skills, Ed Richardson, if you would like to hear more or to get involved with the LSIP.