Increasing employment and skills

London Councils works with the boroughs and other partners, such as the London Skills and Employment Board, to increase employment among Londoners and improve their skills.

London boroughs have an important role to play in this area, given their track record in delivering programmes for the long-term unemployed, their relationships with business and their delivery of a range of support services such as housing benefit, social housing, child care and debt advice. Our work includes:

• Lobbying government to give boroughs a strategic and commissioning role in employment services, particularly with regards to the work programme
• Influencing national policies, such as welfare reform, to better support Londoners into work
• Providing practical support to London boroughs to share what works, through the London Worklessness Support Programme and how to develop their role with work programme contractors
• Lobbying government to ensure that boroughs can effectively influence skills provision, so that the needs of local communities and businesses are met.