Skills and employment update

Since the publication of the EDCST Committee's report, Time to Skill in November 2009, the skills and employment landscape in London has changed significantly.

The Mayor has announced that the LSEB will be restructured and that the support for the LSEB will be taken over by the Learning and Skills team in the London Development Agency. The Committee sought clarification on this matter and the Mayor's response is attached below.

The Government has also announced that it will centralise skills funding. The Skills Funding Agency (previously Learning and Skills Council) will not have a separate funding stream for London. In addition, the government has signalled that the statutory powers of the LSEB will be abolished. This would mean that the LSEB, whose Chair is appointed by the Mayor, will lose its statutory responsibility to produce a strategy for employment and skills in London.

The Mayor has also appointed a sole adviser for skills and economic development, which was a recommendation in the Committee’s Time to Skill report.