Employment & skills

Despite its overall prosperity, London’s unemployment rate is 7.5% - the highest in the UK

Skills provision in London needs more local direction, business leadership and accountability if arrangements are to serve the needs of the capital in an environment of increasing global competitiveness

London First aims to

  • ensure London’s workforce is appropriately skilled
  • equip the capital with a high quality workforce that befits a world city
  • use the 2012 Games as a major catalyst to get 75,000 more Londoners into work
  • persuade policy-makers to refocus skills provision so that training is better matched to London employers’ needs

Find our more about our work to ensure business drives skills strategy for the capital

Other useful links

London’s skills challenge – our member briefing outlining some of the key recent developments in the skills arena, suggests how businesses can get more involved and sets out why London needs to go further and act faster in tackling the issues

London Employer Accord – Olympics-related initiative

Skills London 2008 - interactive careers fair taking place from 20-22 November 2008

Teach First – business-led initiative to raise secondary education standards

Diversity Works for London - London First, is working with the LDA, to engage employers in harnessing the benefits of a diverse workforce

Diversity Practice Project - London First, with the Westminster Business School, is conducting a research project looking at the practical experiences of leading companies in implementing diversity strategies

For more information contact John Attree