£57 million for further education projects in London

£57.6 million of Mayor of London funding will go towards the developments of training facilities and equipment for young people in London.

The second round of the Mayor’s Skills for Londoners Capital Fund will fund projects with a focus on construction and digital skills, as well as training those with special education needs and disabilities.

The funding is expected to help almost 20,000 additional learners of all abilities and backgrounds, as well as nearly 5,000 new apprenticeships and 5,000 new work placements.

The capital fund includes £7.2 million for projects under the Mayor’s Construction Academy – an initiative to help young Londoners gain the skills needed to find work in the construction sector.

Other projects include £559,000 for the Working Men's College for the creation of a new open learning centre to provide integrated additional learning facilities and to refurbish a library and resource centre.

Construct your future will receive £150,000 funding for the construction of a training space to deliver apprenticeships and courses tailored to meet demand in the local community and industry needs, including building.

London South East Colleges will get £10m for its Future Greenwich Digital Village. The funding will develop a new centre at its Plumstead campus to deliver vocational training in digital skills, creative arts, health and social care, and motor vehicle technology.

£5.7 million will go towards the Mary Ward Adult Education Centre East to provide learning facilities to increase participation in job training for black, Asian and minority ethnic, learners with special educational needs and disabilities, and those on low incomes.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “This funding will create high-quality facilities and training programmes, working in partnership with the businesses to establish a pipeline of talent for employers both now and in the future."

“City Hall are also committed to ensuring a diverse, inclusive workforce across different industries. That’s why several the successful projects aim to increase employment for Londoners who may face barriers to entering the jobs market, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.”