Devolution is working for adult learners in London

Londoners now often engage in lifelong learning when taking their first steps into work, reskilling for a career change or pursuing personal interests. Powered by local universities, we support thousands of Londoners to develop new skills every day. That’s why I’m proud to support College Week, which celebrates the life-changing impact of further education and the important role of universities in opening up opportunities for adult education.

London’s skills system is one of the best performing in the country. Since taking control of London’s Adult Education Budget (AEB) in 2019, the Mayor has worked closely with London’s skills providers and universities to s He has helped over 1 million learners participate in his skills programs. Registration numbers increased by 20%, compared to only 8% in non-decentralized areas administered by the central government. This would not have been possible without the strong partnerships between great universities and city halls made possible by decentralization.

It’s great to see first-hand the transformative impact of adult learning on Londoners, reflected in the winners of the annual Mayor’s Adult Learning Awards. At New City College Ilford, last year’s Inspirational Adult Learner of the Year award winner Nabeel Ahmed overcomes major obstacles to become more independent and explore new opportunities. I built the confidence I needed to. 2022 winner Shirley Joseph took the leap of faith after being made redundant to reskill in track engineering at Newnham University and is now building a successful career with his Network Rail.

We are delighted that by working with universities we have been able to tailor London’s adult learning services to the local context and make a real impact on the lives of Londoners. The pioneering London Learner Survey, which tracks how AEB has supported Londoners, shows how training improves access to work, boosts further learning, increases incomes and increases feelings of wellbeing and confidence. We clarified whether this has led to improvements in More than 100,000 Londoners have reported that completing the course has made them financially better, with those in work now on average 10 per cent better off financially and helped with rising costs of living.

Adult learning opportunities need to reach all Londoners and the Mayor has taken steps to remove barriers that prevent Londoners from getting the training they need and improve the accessibility of the skills system . Some residency requirements for training have been removed, allowing more immigrant Londoners to take part in courses, improve their skills and contribute to the economy.

Since we started funding Londoners working on low wages, we have helped over 90,000 Londoners who were previously excluded from training to gain the skills they need. We also carry out important community support work to bring Londoners who are less likely to take part in adult learning into skills training, through our community grants program which funds grassroots organizations that connect local people with learning. I have also invested in Thanks to these changes and the hard work of the city’s universities, London’s skills system is now one of the most accessible in the country.

However, we need to go further. To bring about meaningful change and build on the success of London’s adult education budget, we need to devolve power and funding to the regions. Although training participation is increasing, we are reaching the limits of what is possible within current funding levels, which have been stagnant since 2019.

After a decade of low economic growth and high inequality, further investment in skills is essential to boost productivity, incomes and prosperity in London and across the country. Regions in London and across England are showing that success is possible with stronger management of local skills funds. The next government must seriously consider increasing investment in skills, increasing funding and giving cities and regions the control they need to meet the demand for lifelong learning.