The initiative not only creates opportunities for working Londoners but also help employers to recruit diverse talent and fill skills gaps in their existing workforce
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced £27 million in funding for a skills programme to help fast-track Londoners into good jobs and boost economic growth across the capital.
The Mayor’s Skills Bootcamps are flexible courses from two weeks to three months that support Londoners aged 19+ to get quality jobs in sectors key to London’s long-term economic success, from creative industries to construction and hospitality to healthcare.
The initiative not only creates opportunities for working Londoners but also help employers to recruit diverse talent and fill skills gaps in their existing workforce. City Hall covers 90 per cent of training costs for small and mid-size enterprises to upskill their staff, and 70 per cent for larger employers.
The programme spans diverse working sectors including digital, green, retail and professional services. Employers involved in design and delivery range from big names like Tesco and Transport for London to smaller businesses and public sector bodies like Hackney Council. Bootcamp graduates can progress in a variety of occupations such as carpentry, arboriculture, early years, pharmacy, logistics, cyber security and adapting homes to make them greener.
This new wave of the scheme will see a 25 per cent annual uplift in funding, and a 42 per cent increase since the Department for Education first allocated the programme funding to the Greater London Authority in 2022.
It will enable the Mayor to support more than 7,700 new learners – and previous waves suggest most of them can expect to see a positive outcome within six months, whether that’s gaining a new job that pays at least the London Living Wage or progressing in an existing role [1].
As well as gaining in-demand sector-specific skills, Londoners who complete the programme are guaranteed a job interview, with guidance on professional working environments to help fully prepare them for new roles. Course structures vary to suit learners already in work, as well as unemployed Londoners and those returning to work after a break.
For the first time this year, most courses can include Level 2 qualifications (equivalent to a grade 4/C at GCSE) as well as the previously provided Levels 3-5 (from A-Levels up to higher national diplomas) to better serve the diverse needs of Londoners and employers.
The scheme focuses on 11 key sectors with high productivity and growth potential, like digital and green jobs, aligned with the new London Growth Plan to unleash the potential of Londoners and – in turn – London’s economy.
The London Growth Plan, developed by the Mayor with London Councils and launched earlier this year, aims to restore productivity growth to an average of two per cent a year in the next decade, making the capital’s economy £107bn larger by 2035 and putting an extra £11,000 on average in the pockets of the near-nine million Londoners [2].
A key action for the new plan is an Inclusive Talent Strategy to make sure that all Londoners can contribute to and benefit from the capital’s success, which this skills programme will play an important role in.
The initiative also helps address under-representation in the workforce of key sectors, helping employers connect to London’s diverse talent. The majority of learners in the last wave were under 34 years old, nearly three quarters were from a minoritised ethnic background, 40 per cent were female, and 15 per cent reported having a learning difficulty or disability.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “My Skills Bootcamps will play an important role in helping fast-track Londoners into good jobs in sectors that are key to London’s long-term economic success. This additional funding will help even more Londoners to access free accessible training and gain the skills they need to succeed. This is even more important given the high cost of living. Our goal is to drive economic growth in every corner of our city, raise living standards and ensure more Londoners can access good high-paid jobs, as we work to deliver the London Growth Plan and continue building a fairer and more prosperous London for all.”
Digital Skills Bootcamp graduate Monica Carta, who now works as a business development and marketing operations specialist, said: “The Digital Marketing Bootcamp provided me with the skills and confidence I needed to leap into a new career. My passion for branding drove me to reinvent myself, proving that it’s never too late to follow your dreams and grow professionally, especially with the right training and guidance.”
Green Skills Bootcamp graduate Christina Veldman, who now works as a landscape and environment operative, said: “My big regret was that I never got to work outdoors in nature like I had always dreamed of doing, thinking that I had just left it too late. But then I found the Mayor’s Skills Bootcamp at just the right time, and it has changed my whole future. I now love what I do!”
Mollie Havenhand, early talent manager at Omnicom who is part of Digital Skills Bootcamps as an employer, said: “Over the past few years, we’ve made 150 hires through the Mayor’s Skills Bootcamps. These candidates have not only proven to be strong employees, making meaningful contributions within their respective agencies, but also significantly enriched our diverse workforce.”
Emma Nye, science technology platform lead at the Francis Crick Institute who is part of Green Skills Bootcamps as an employer, said: “The Mayor’s Skills Bootcamps have brought a genuinely innovative approach to professional development. The blend of expert tutoring, dynamic content and personalised coaching has given our colleagues a meaningful and engaging learning experience far beyond traditional training. The focus on practical, business-relevant sustainability skills means participants make an immediate impact in their roles.”
