23/09/2026
A strong day of discussion, collaboration and shared ambition at the Local London Skills & Employment Summit 2026, hosted at the University of East London.
The Summit brought together around 150 representatives from across education, local government, employers, health, infrastructure and the wider skills landscape to consider how London can build a more responsive, inclusive and future-ready workforce.
Newham College London Principal and CEO, Jamie Purser, joined the opening panel on Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP): Priorities, Progress & Action, contributing to the discussion on how colleges and skills providers can work collectively to respond to employer needs, strengthen local talent pipelines and ensure residents are able to benefit from future growth and opportunity.
Jamie also reflected on the importance of the Skills Providers Network and the value of a coordinated, sub-regional approach, alongside the role employers can play in directly shaping curriculum, work experience and teaching to ensure skills provision remains relevant and responsive.
A key theme throughout the Summit was clear: no single organisation can address London’s future skills needs alone. Strong partnerships between employers, colleges, universities, local authorities and communities will be critical to translating workforce demand into meaningful opportunities for learners and residents.
Thank you to Local London and the University of East London for bringing partners together, and to keynote speaker Howard Dawber OBE and fellow panellists and contributors for an important and forward-looking conversation.
