Source: City of Westminster
Westminster City Council has published a report which will be used to develop a plan to support residents access 48,000 new jobs expected to be created across the city over the next 10 years.
Home to 54,000 businesses and more than 755,000 workers, Westminster plays a vital role in the UK economy. However, the city faces ongoing challenges including youth unemployment, low apprenticeship uptake, and significant skills mismatches among its 211,000 residents.
To address these issues, the council worked in partnership with Westminster Education, Employment and Skills (EES) Board to commission Volterra to carry out research and provide an evidence based report on Westminster’s Skills Base. This report provides a roadmap to ensure local talent is equipped to meet future demand in key growth sectors.
Key Findings:
- Up to 48,000 new roles expected across the borough by 2035
- Fastest growing sectors will be in professional services, creative industries, construction, and hospitality
- Unemployment and low skills are highest in parts of northwest Westminster
- Many new jobs will require higher-level qualifications (Level 3 or 4), but over 26,000 residents currently have only GCSE-level (Level 2) or lower
- There’s a lack of apprenticeships, adult skills courses and sector-specific training in some areas of the city
Recommendations include:
- Support low-skilled and unemployed residents into key sectors
- Improve training by strengthening links between employers and training providers
- Expand access to childcare, English language classes, and entry-level apprenticeships
- Launch local programmes to help carers, young people, and inactive residents find work
This report will directly inform Westminster’s full Skills Strategy, to be released later this year, and guide investment in training, employer engagement and inclusive economic development.
The Skills Strategy will build on existing council-led or commissioned programmes, including the North Paddington Opportunities Project, which supports economically inactive residents, Digital Dash, a tech-focused employability initiative for young people; Full Potential, a trailblazer initiative for care-experienced young people as part of the Get Britain Working agenda; and Connect to Work, which supports residents with health conditions or disabilities.
Cllr Geoff Barraclough, Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development, said:
“Whether it’s a young person starting out in their career, a parent returning to work, or someone looking to retrain, we want Westminster to be a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and have access to good jobs. This report gives us the insight we need to bring together employers and communities to help residents gain the relevant skills for the jobs of the future.“A huge thank you to everyone involved on the EESB who have contributed to this work and continue to champion skills and opportunities for people across Westminster.”
Jessie Buscombe, Chair of the EESB, said:“As part of the Fairer Economy Plan, Westminster’s Education, Skills and Employment Board is focused on ensuring residents have access to training programmes that support them into meaningful work.
“I’m delighted to see the publication of this independent report which illustrates what more we can do to improve the training offer in Westminster, and I look forward to working with the Board and the Council to take forward this agenda.”
Oliver Lantham, Vice President of Strategy and Growth at Workforce Skills, said:
“The Westminster Skills Base report prepared by Volterra gives the board a solid foundation of facts and insights upon which we can make prioritised decisions.“The board’s objective is to help to close current and future skills gaps so that all benefit from an improved local skills system, and this cannot be done without such a fact base.”
Find out more on the EESB and the report here.