The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is aiming to boost industry skills for city residents by launching his new Construction Academy.

Operating as a network of skills providers across London, the initiative has been developed with the support of construction employers, industry experts and skills providers to close the gap between the need for more homes and the shortage of skilled workers.

As well as creating a Construction Academy ‘quality mark' to identify high-quality construction skills training provision, Mayor Khan has also announced which skills providers have been awarded the quality marks and will join councils, housing associations, homebuilders and construction companies in being eligible to bid for funding to better coordinate skills training with employers' needs, as well as engaging with local schools to promote construction careers.

Later this year, quality-marked providers can also apply for investment from the LEAP's Skills for Londoners Capital Fund to develop state-of-the-art construction skills training facilities. Up to £114m was pledged by Mayor Khan last year to be invested in equipment and facilities at London's further education colleges and other skills providers. Of this, up to £88m will be available from this summer through the LEAP – with £7.2m ringfenced for the Mayor's Construction Academy Capital Programme for providers already quality mark accredited.

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Speaking at the King's Cross Construction Skills Centre today, 06 June, Mayor Khan said despite London being home to exciting and dynamic talent, the city faces a shortage in construction skills "that is hampering our ability to tackle London's housing crisis".

"To make matters worse, we risk an exodus of talented Londoners, who could leave the city in large numbers because they can't afford a good quality home," he said.

"I'm committed to building the workforce of the future – and a key part of this is recognising the best skills providers across the city and using them as exemplars from which others can learn.

"London faces a number of skills challenges and today I have laid out my plans to address these and, in so doing, make London's skills system the envy of the world."

Leader of Southwark Council and chair of the Mayor's Construction Skills Advisory Group, Cllr Peter John, said: "London has an incredibly dynamic economy but faces a number of serious challenges – not least ensuring London can tackle its housing crisis through the delivery of more affordable homes.

"In Southwark we have set up our own Construction Skills Centre with our development partners Lendlease, to help ensure local people in and around Southwark have the skills and right qualifications to meet the increasing demand in this area. With this new strategy, the Mayor is outlining the bold steps he will take to create a world-leading skills system and develop the workforce of the future."

(LM/MH)