DD2800 Phase One of the Further Education Teacher Industry Exchange

1.1.    Government has committed to major housing and infrastructure objectives, including the construction of 1.5 million homes over this Parliament and investment in transport and energy projects to support long‑term economic growth. These objectives align with the Mayor’s target of 88,000 new homes per year and the London Growth Plan priority to increase infrastructure investment.

1.2.    In the Spring Statement 2025, the government announced the Construction Skills Package (CSP) to address workforce shortages in the construction sector. One component, the Further Education Teacher Industry Exchange (FE TIE) programme, has been devolved to Mayoral Strategic Authorities. The Section 31 Grant Determination Letter for the test‑and‑learn phase (March–July 2026) specifies that a significant proportion of funding is to support mobilisation activities, including brokerage, coordination, staffing, stakeholder engagement, planning and assurance.

1.3.    The Department for Education (DfE) has awarded the GLA £223,211.97 under a Section 31 non‑ring‑fenced grant to support delivery of Phase One of FE TIE. Delivery is required to conclude by 31 July 2026, with reporting due by 14 August 2026. The accompanying Memorandum of Understanding (at Appendix A), signed on 25 February 2026, establishes the phase as a test‑and‑learn period with a single output of 90 teaching days delivered by construction industry professionals and (whilst it is stated not to be legally binding) includes clawback provisions for non‑compliance with conditions.  

1.4.    Building on the GLA’s established construction‑skills activities and infrastructure, this pilot phase will accelerate efforts to strengthen London’s training and talent pipeline in the sector.

1.5.    The initiative aligns with The London Growth Plan (LGP), which set out a roadmap for sustainable and inclusive economic development. Central to this was the creation of a city-wide 10-year Inclusive Talent Strategy (ITS) to integrate skills, employment support and career provision, which was published in October 2025.

1.6.    The ‘Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth’ (SLBG) programme sets out core aims that include the establishment of a new system engagement and delivery model that identifies a strategic, regional and action-oriented role for employers in shaping London’s talent system. This aligns with the ‘Creating an employer-led Inclusive Talent System and building talent Pipelines’ project of the SLBG Delivery Plan as approved under Mayoral Decision (MD)3395.

1.7.    Prior to the SLBG delivery plan MD3395 being signed, the Mayor approved the establishment of an employer-led skills system in London, under cover of MD3401. This new employer-led model includes a new advisory forum, six sector talent boards, six pan-London sector hubs and four sub-regional hubs:
•    the Inclusive Talent Delivery Group will be comprised of key system stakeholders, have oversight of the delivery of the ITS, the Get London Working plan (GLW), the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) and the work of the Sector Boards and hubs
•    the Sector Talent Boards will act as strategic convenor for each sector, helping to shape the design and delivery of London’s skills, employment and careers system and directly influence investment decisions by validating priority skills to inform the commissioning of training providers (GLA and wider system interventions) as well as shaping innovation by approving sector-specific pilots and priorities to be delivered through the Pan-London Sector Hub
•    The Pan-London Sector hub is the main delivery mechanism for the Sector Talent Board, turning employer direction into practical action as well as linking into local delivery, led by the sub-regional hubs. The hub will be responsible for administering the Sector Talent Board, providing an entry point and matchmaking function for employers looking to engage with the system as well as unlocking access to talent and expanding inclusive pathways into priority occupations
•    The sub-regional hubs will focus on sub-regional skills gaps, as outlined in the LSIP and oversee local activity and engagement through established local partners to engage diverse groups of Londoners to help steer them to training, employment support and careers advice.

1.8.    Places for London has been competitively selected as the recipient of GLA funding for its Pan‑London Construction & Built Environment Sector Hub project, which will include employer engagement, pan‑London employer–provider matching, sectoral brokerage, and intelligence coordination. The Hub funding agreement is not yet signed; however, these functions align with the brokerage and mobilisation requirements set out in the FE TIE grant determination and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). It is proposed therefore, that additional grant funding of up to £80,000 be awarded to Places For London (under a modified version of the Pan‑London Construction & Built Environment Sector Hub agreement) as a contribution to the related costs.  

             
1.9.    The South London Partnership’s, Local London, Reed in Partnership, Education Development Trust, current GLA-funded activity (which falls within the GLA‑funded Careers Hubs programme) includes the delivery of teacher encounters, which correspond to FE TIE expectations for Further Education (FE) practitioners to engage with industry to maintain up‑to‑date sector knowledge. Where capacity permits, this existing activity can be expanded to support Phase One mobilisation. It is proposed therefore, that additional grant funding of up to £40,000 be awarded to South London Partnership, Local London, Reed in Partnership, Education Development Trust (by varying the current funding agreement for its Careers Hubs project) as a contribution to the related costs of expanding its funded activity.     

1.10.    In August 2025, the DfE allocated grant funding to New City College (NCC) to enable them to operate as London’s Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC). CTECs operate on a regional hub‑and‑spoke basis, supporting other FE providers and brokering employer partnerships. NCC is therefore positioned to coordinate FE provider engagement for FE TIE in London and support alignment with wider construction‑skills activity. It is proposed therefore, that additional grant funding of up to £80,000 to New City College as a contribution to the related costs.     

1.11.    To support the test‑and‑learn nature of Phase One of the Further Education Teacher Industry Exchange (FE TIE), all grant funding allocated to delivery partners may be vired between partners, where required, to enable agile, capacity‑based delivery. This flexibility will allow officers to re‑profile funding in response to delivery needs, partner capacity, employer engagement levels, and the pace of mobilisation, ensuring that the GLA can meet the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) requirements and the agreed outcome of delivering 90 teaching days by July 2026.

1.12.    Any virements will remain within the overall approved envelope of £223,211.97 and will be managed in line with the GLA’s financial controls, funding agreements, and Section 31 grant conditions. Virements will only be enacted where they support delivery efficacy, maintain compliance with MoU‑eligible activity (brokerage, coordination, staffing, engagement, planning and assurance), and ensure value for money.

1.13.    Approval for this funding commitment is sought through a Director’s Decision, under the delegated authority granted by the Mayor to the Executive Director of Communities and Skills (the Director) to authorise the use of resources for named projects in the SLBG Delivery Plan ( as approved under MD3395) including approving the receipt of any additional funding from central government or other sources (but not including funding from Adult Skills Fund budgets) to expand or extend existing approved projects contained in the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth delivery plan, where the parameters of the project remain the same or similar.  

2.1.    Phase One of the Further Education Teacher Industry Exchange (FE TIE) is a short test and learn period designed to establish the systems and relationships required to support construction industry professionals to deliver teaching activity in FE settings.

The objectives of Phase One are to:
•    mobilise the brokerage, coordination and referral mechanisms required to support industry into teaching and teacher into industry activity
•    deliver 90 teaching days by construction professionals by July 2026, as set out in the DfE approved delivery plan
•    strengthen employer–provider engagement, including improving matching, referral pathways and understanding of role requirements
•    implement monitoring, assurance and reporting processes consistent with the MoU and the Section 31 grant conditions
•    generate early learning to inform delivery expectations for subsequent phases of the CSP within London’s integrated settlement.

2.2.    It is proposed that Places for London delivers the Phase One brokerage, employer matching and coordination requirements via a variation to its Pan London Construction & Built Environment (C&BE) Sector Hub funding agreement. Places for London’s Hub project sits within the Inclusive Talent Strategy (ITS) as part of London’s employer led talent infrastructure. Places for London’s Hub project was identified by way of a competitive funding application process.

2.3.    Under the Sector Talent Boards and Pan London Sector Hubs Prospectus, Hub responsibilities include:
•    brokering co investment opportunities and expanding in kind employer contributions such as mentoring, work taster days and tutor support
•    commissioning and administering pilot funding according to Sector Talent Board priorities.

2.4.    These functions directly align with the requirements for FE TIE mobilisation, including the need to rapidly secure employer participation, broker teaching related contributions, and administer a pilot stage programme within a short delivery window.

2.5.    Learning generated during Phase One will inform delivery expectations, target‑setting and assurance arrangements for later phases, consistent with the MoU’s test‑and‑learn approach and the ITS shift toward an employer‑led system.

Pan-London Construction & Built Environment Hub: (up to £80,000 for project coordination and brokerage)

2.6.    Officers have considered whether explicitly including FE TIE brokerage within the original Pan‑London C&BE Hub competition would have affected the applicant field or award outcome. The capabilities required for FE TIE Phase One—employer engagement, convening, pan‑London employer–provider matching, and brokerage aligned with governance structures, were already within the competed scope. FE TIE does not introduce novel technical requirements or a distinct delivery model. It is therefore unlikely that explicit inclusion would have attracted additional bidders or altered the competitive outcome.

2.7.    Phase One runs March–July 2026. Immediate mobilisation is required to deliver 90 teaching days, meet MoU reporting requirements, and utilise funding in accordance with the Section 31 determination, which expects a significant proportion of Phase One funding to be directed to mobilisation activity (brokerage, coordination, staffing, stakeholder engagement, planning and assurance). 

2.8.    A variation to the existing Hub grant is therefore the only feasible mechanism for timely mobilisation.

2.9.    Hub responsibilities as defined in the Prospectus include sector‑wide brokerage, pan‑London employer–provider matching, employer engagement, and the ability to administer pilot funding. These responsibilities match FE TIE Phase One requirements and ensure delivery is integrated with Sector Talent Board governance and sector intelligence.

2.10.    Using the Hub avoids establishing parallel systems and preserves a single, employer‑led coordination mechanism across London.

Careers Hubs:(up to £40,000 for scaled up delivery of existing activity)

2.11.     Officers propose an additional funding agreement variation to the Careers Hubs to deliver FE teacher industry placements aligned with FE TIE outcomes. Careers Hubs already broker teacher encounters, an existing ITS‑aligned intervention based on employer engagement and industry‑based professional development. 

2.12.    This activity lies within the original Careers Hub scope and introduces no new technical requirements. A variation would set clear outputs and cost codes.

Construction Technical Excellence College: (Up to £80,000 for regional provider coordination)

2.13.    New City College has been appointed as London’s CTEC with a remit to support providers, strengthen curricula, and coordinate regional employer partnerships under a hub‑and‑spoke model. 

2.14.    To avoid duplication and ensure alignment between FE TIE and the CTEC model, officers propose a funding award of up to £80,000 to enable NCC to coordinate provider engagement and some employer brokerage during Phase One, ensuring:
•    a London‑wide view of construction teaching and Continuous Professional Development needs
•    non‑duplicative industry‑exchange activity across FE providers
•    aligned employer engagement across the Pan‑London C&BE Hub, Careers Hubs and CTEC.

2.15.    This activity is consistent with the CTEC remit and DfE expectations and cannot feasibly be competed within the March–July 2026 timeframe.

2.16.    New City College will be issued funding through a new grant funding award.
 

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the GLA (including the Mayor of London) must comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) when exercising its functions. The PSED is a duty to have due regard to:  
•    the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and any conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010  
•    advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between people who share a ‘protected characteristic’ as defined in the Equality Act 2010 and those who do not.  

3.2.    The protected characteristics under section 149 of the Equality Act are: age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, marital or civil partnership status, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Compliance with the duty may involve ensuring people with a protected characteristic are provided with all the opportunities that those without the characteristic would have.  

3.3.    This involves having due regard to the need to remove or minimise any disadvantage suffered by those who share a relevant protected characteristic that is connected to that characteristic; taking steps to meet the different needs of such people; and encouraging them to participate in public life or in any other activity where their participation is disproportionately low.  

3.4.    The decision to receive and expend the funding is expected to have positive equality impacts, as the FE TIE workstream is designed to:
•    support a more diverse construction teaching workforce by enabling industry professionals, including those from under represented groups, to undertake teaching activity in adult education and FE settings
•    improve the quality and accessibility of construction training for learners from all backgrounds, including those with protected characteristics
•    strengthen employer-provider relationships, helping to create pathways that may support wider participation of underrepresented groups in construction
•    encourage participation from FE teachers who share protected characteristics by enabling funded, supported access to industry-based professional development.

3.5.    As part of delivery, the GLA will seek to prioritise engagement with industry professionals and FE construction teachers from groups under represented in London’s construction and built environment sector, consistent with the ambitions of the Inclusive Talent Strategy. The brokerage function and delivery plan will incorporate activity to encourage participation across protected groups and ensure that barriers, such as accessibility, workplace adjustments or scheduling, are considered and addressed.

3.6.    There are no identified negative equality impacts arising directly from the decision to receive and expend this funding. However, the GLA will monitor participation and outcomes through quarterly reporting to ensure any emerging barriers for people with protected characteristics can be identified and addressed. In doing so, the GLA will ensure that due regard continues to be paid throughout workstream implementation, and that future phases of FE TIE build on this evidence to further advance equality of opportunity.
 

Key Risks and Issues

4.1.    The following key risks and mitigations have been identified in relation to Phase One delivery:

Subsidy Control

4.2.    A Subsidy Control Assessment has been completed for each proposed funding agreement variation/award, in accordance with the Subsidy Control Act 2022, the TfL Legal Best Practice Note, and the GLA Subsidy Control Assessment Form. 

4.3.    The assessment confirms that the proposed FE TIE funding arrangements do not constitute a subsidy, as the support provided does not confer an economic advantage nor affect competition or trade; participation payments compensate programme‑specific FE teaching release costs rather than support commercial activity. 

Links to Mayoral Delivery Plans, Strategies and Priorities

4.4.    This decision directly contributes to the delivery of:
•    MD3395 – Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth Delivery Plan (Boosting Capacity and Capability project): The Boosting Capacity and Capability project supports “leaders in adult education to strengthen their workforce and facilities, so they can deliver high quality, inclusive training that matches employer needs.” This aligns directly with the Government’s strategic aim for FE TIE to build “both the capacity and quality of construction teaching.”
•    The Inclusive Talent Strategy (ITS): FE TIE supports the ITS by strengthening employer led skills development, improving talent pipelines for the construction and built environment sector, and widening fair access to high quality training. The Strategy also includes a specific commitment to “make it easier for industry experts to become FE teachers,” which the programme directly advances.
•    The Mayor’s wider priorities on economic fairness, skills, and access to good work: FE TIE contributes to the Mayor’s commitments to ensure Londoners benefit from opportunities in key growth sectors. By improving alignment between teaching practice and employer needs, the programme helps prepare the GLA’s diverse learner base to enter good work in the construction and built environment sector.
•    The Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy: FE TIE supports the Strategy’s objectives of raising productivity, strengthening skills pathways, and promoting inclusive growth. By deepening partnerships between construction employers and FE providers, the programme contributes to a more responsive skills system that delivers inclusive, high quality training aligned with employer demand.

4.5.    The workstream supports social development and economic development objectives under the GLA Act 1999 by improving access to skilled employment in a key economic sector.

Consultation, Impact Assessments, and Other Requirements

4.6.    Consultation: The workstream has been developed in consultation with the Department for Education. Internal consultation has taken place with the GLA Skills and Employment Unit, relevant external stakeholders (including other Mayoral Strategic Authorities, Employers and FE Providers), and legal and finance officers. Engagement with London’s Adult Education providers and employers will be facilitated through the brokerage function during delivery.

4.7.    Impact Assessments: Given the scale and nature of this decision, receipt and expenditure of ring fenced grant funding, no separate impact assessment is required at this stage. However, equality considerations have been assessed (see Equality Comments), and further assessments may be undertaken as part of delivery planning where appropriate.

4.8.    Data Protection and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): The workstream will involve data flows related to monitoring and reporting. All processing of personal data will comply with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Data shared with the DfE will be limited to what is necessary to fulfil reporting obligations. A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) will be completed if required once delivery mechanisms are finalised. The GLA will not collect any personal data beyond what is necessary for management, and no special category data is expected to be processed for monitoring. Where personal data is collected for reporting purposes, a lawful basis under UK GDPR Article Six will be identified in advance.

4.9.    Health, Safety and Safeguarding: FE providers participating in the workstream will remain responsible for safeguarding procedures relating to learners and staff. The GLA will ensure that funded activity delivered in education settings aligns with providers’ existing safeguarding policies and health and safety requirements.

4.10.    There are no conflicts of interest arising from those involved in the drafting and clearance of this decision form.
 

5.1.    The Department for Education (DfE) has awarded the GLA £223,211.97 to the GLA via a Section 31 grant to deliver Phase One of the Further Education Teacher Industry Exchange (FE TIE), supporting construction industry professionals to teach in FE settings. Delivery is required to conclude by 31 July 2026, with reporting due by 14 August 2026. This grant sits outside of the Integrated Settlement. 

5.2.    Approval is the award of grant funding of up to: 
•    £80,000 to Places for London (by way of variation to its current funding agreement for its Pan‑London Construction & Built Environment Hub project) as a contribution to its costs of delivering FE TIE brokerage, employer‑matching, coordination and reporting functions as part of its project. 
•    £40,000 equally to South London Partnership, Local London, Reed in Partnership, Education Development Trust (by way of variation to its current funding agreement for its Careers Hubs project) as a contribution to its costs of delivering FE teacher back‑to‑industry placement days aligned to the FE TIE MoU outcome, as an expansion of existing teacher encounters activity as part of its project. 
•    £80,000 to New City College, London’s regional CTEC as a contribution to its costs of its project to coordinate provider input and employer brokerage for FE TIE Phase One, ensuring alignment with DfE guidance and avoiding duplication of services.

5.3.    The delivery timeline for the above is across 2025–26 and 2026–27 financial years (with activity running to 31 July 2026 and reporting required by 14 August 2026). 

5.4.    This will be managed through the Further Education Teacher Industry Exchange programme budget. 

5.5.    Future financial years funding and expenditure will be subject to the annual budget setting process. 
 

6.1.    The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Director concern the exercise of the:
•    GLA’s general powers, falling within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the promotion of economic development and wealth creation in Greater London and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the GLA’s related statutory duties to:
o    pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people
o    consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom
o    consult with appropriate bodies.

6.2.    In taking the decisions requested, the Director must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation) and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Director should have particular regard to section three (above) of this report.

6.3.    The Subsidy Control Act 2022 requires that grant funding be assessed in relation to its four-limbed test. The officers have made this assessment at paragraphs 4.2 and 4.2 above and have a concluded that the proposed award of funding does not amount to an unlawful subsidy.

6.4.    If the Director makes the decisions sought, officers must ensure that:
•    the proposed award of grant funding is made:
o    in accordance with any specific conditions of third party funders including (without limitation) those set out in the MoU and s.31 grant award mentioned and the Integrated Settlement Outcomes Framework
o    fairly, transparently, in accordance with the GLA’s equalities requirements and with the requirements of GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code and funding agreements are put in place between and/or varied (as applicable) and executed by the GLA and recipients before any commitment to fund is made.
 

7.1.    The next steps relating to this decision are as follows:

•    Appendix A – FE TIE Memorandum of Understanding with the Department for Education.