Skills, Talent and Immigration

BusinessLDN’s mission is to make London the best city in the world in which to do business, working with and for the whole UK. Just as London needs a reliable transport system which is properly funded with clear accountability, it must have a well-functioning, cohesive and easy to navigate skills system. That’s why BusinessLDN is proud to be leading the London Local Skills Improvement Plan in partnership with FSB London, LCCI and CBI London, all behind a unified approach to tackle labour and skills shortages, with the backing of the Mayor of London and London government.

The current piecemeal approach has achieved only incremental change. We need to be bolder. To deliver the single unified skills system the capital needs we are calling for the creation of a new dedicated London Careers Service.

Success is a system that is simple, where coordination between business, educators and policymakers delivers the right outcomes, one which can respond to changing forces and evolving needs of employers and workers, and that puts funding and policy levers closer to the action in the hands of local and regional leaders, with clear accountability to ensure every pound is spent effectively.

London must work for everyone, including the next generation. That’s why we host Skills London, the UK’s largest careers fair for 14 – 24 year olds exploring their options. We bring employers directly in front of our capital’s growing talent from a diverse range of communities and provide them with experience and knowledge to kick start their careers.

Our previous work: The Employment and Skills Commission’s recommendations; Reform of the Apprenticeship Levy with NWBLT; and our Skilling London series.

For overseas workers, the immigration system can be complex, restrictive and costly for both employers and migrants. Equally, the asylum system is highly bureaucratic and ineffective at placing legal refugees into work.

We continue to make the case for a fair and managed immigration system which can respond to the needs of the economy, building on our previous #FullStrength campaign, which was underpinned by our Global Britain report.

Now, we are making the case for an approach that can support recovery, including a temporary visa for industries where there is clear evidence of labour and skills shortages and a review of the Shortage Occupation List.