Image from left to right: Craig Hurring, CEO of Love Wimbledon, Sarah Ireland, Chief Executive, Royal Borough Kingston upon Thames, Peter Mayhew-Smith, Group Principal & Chief Executive, South Thames Colleges Group and Matthew Hamilton, Director, South London Partnership.

Leading employers, training providers, local authorities, and educators came together this week at Kingston College to back the new South London Employment and Skills Charter.

The Charter, led by the South London Skills and Employment Alliance, ensures that businesses have a strong voice in shaping the region’s workforce for the future. Attendees showed their commitment by signing the Charter, reinforcing a collective effort to align skills development with industry needs.

A call to action for South London’s workforce

Sarah Ireland, Chief Executive, Royal Borough Kingston upon Thames, emphasised the importance of collaboration: “It’s vitally important that we invest in the skills, talent and employment opportunities in South London. The Skills and Employment Charter is a great foundation for this, bringing together key players to make the most of our wonderful communities and residents.

We need to understand what employers and organisations’ skills needs are, firstly to ensure that our educational establishments and our pathways are developing those skills and talents and secondly, for inclusion, to ensure everybody, including those that are currently economically inactive, has an opportunity.”

Key workforce challenges and priorities

Business leaders at the event shared pressing workforce challenges, including:

• The rising cost of employment
• The evolving demand for AI and retrofit skills
• The impact of hybrid working
• Engaging experienced older workers often overlooked by employers

Matthew Hamilton, Director, South London Partnership, reinforced the Charter’s role in building a sustainable talent pipeline: “The Charter is essential to securing South London’s workforce for today and the future. Businesses must be at the heart of this conversation, ensuring we understand their needs and respond effectively.”

He pointed to skills shortages in key sectors – health and care, environment, retail, and hospitality – highlighting the need for coordinated efforts to equip residents with the right skills.

Building a stronger skills and employment ecosystem

The South London Skills and Employment Alliance unites business leaders, educators, local authorities, and employment support organisations to strengthen the region’s workforce development.

Craig Hurring, CEO of Love Wimbledon and Co-Chair of Skills and Employment Alliance, commented: “The Alliance is tackling South London’s skills challenge head-on, ensuring we have the right programmes in place to support residents and create meaningful job opportunities in collaboration with businesses and educators.

The Charter is a tangible document that allows you to pledge that you want to be part of the work that’s happening through the Alliance and the Local Skills Improvement Plan and contribute towards ideas, innovations and approaches to build employment and opportunity in South London.”

Businesses which didn’t attend the event can sign the charter here: South London Partnership charter download, sign and email to [email protected]