Hounslow Council joins Mayor’s initiative that offers free skills training

• £44m Mayor’s Academies Programme will support Londoners into good jobs and help address growing skills shortages 
• Latest figures show London’s economy is starting to show signs of recovery, but growing number of businesses struggling to fill skilled posts
• New campaign launched to show Londoners how they can access training and gain qualifications for free 

 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today launched a major new skills programme, which will offer free training courses to support Londoners into good jobs and help address the growing skills shortage in the capital.    

Co-ordinating and improving the quality of training in the capital, the £44m Mayor’s Academies Programme will enable anyone who is 19 and over and unemployed or in low-income work to access training courses for free at local colleges and adult education providers. This will mean that Londoners can retrain, learn or upskill and seize the new opportunities available on London’s growing job market. 

Targeting priority industries, the programme will include green, digital, hospitality, health, social care and the creative and cultural sectors, to help ensure London emerges strongly from the pandemic. It will also work directly with employers in these sectors to build greater workforce diversity, ensuring groups that are underrepresented in London’s labour market are able to access high quality work.  

The Mayor has today published his Skills Roadmap for London which outlines his vision for adult learning during this mayoral term to ensure it can better serve Londoners wanting to learn, upskill or change jobs. 

 The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said:  

“Many Londoners are facing an unprecedented squeeze on their budgets due to an increase in inflation, energy bills and National Insurance contributions, which are set to go up from April. As Mayor, I won’t sit by while people in our city struggle with the soaring cost of living. That’s why I’m taking action now to help Londoners acquire the skills that either allow them to earn more in their current roles or secure better-paying jobs.

“My new flagship skills programme will offer any Londoner who is 19 or over – and who is unemployed or in a low paid job – the chance to access training for free. 

“London’s economy is starting to show signs of recovery, but many businesses are crying out for people with the right skills. This new programme will not only ensure Londoners can gain the skills they need to succeed, but support London’s businesses and our economic recovery.”  

Leader of Hounslow Council, Councillor Steve Curran, said:

“We are delighted to be joining the Mayor of London for this exciting new programme that taps into local talent and empowers adult learning across the capital.

“It is safe to say that Hounslow – as a borough – has been hit particularly hard during the pandemic. This initiative will help bolster the local economy and enhance our existing support packages for local businesses.

“So if you’re interested in a career change in the creative, digital, green, health and hospitality sectors, or you want to improve your skillset, this is a fantastic opportunity for Hounslow residents.”