Based in Central London, the financial capital of the world
Working with 16 further education establishments
Links with over 300 industry leaders and organisations
Committed to green skills growth and efficiency
Welcome to the Bridge Central London Skills Partnership! We are a collaboration of 16 further education providers building on the progress made by our 2023-25 Central London Forward LSIF projects led by New City College. We are dedicated to addressing the CLF LSIP priorities, particularly by enhancing the provision of Digital and Green skills throughout London. Our aim is to reduce identified skills deficits, develop students, trainees, and employees, and foster inclusivity. This includes raising awareness within the wider community and encouraging learners to return to education and skills training.
Employers are central to this process. We strive to meet their skills needs by involving them in the co-design, development, and delivery of relevant and up-to-date courses. Concurrently, we focus on upskilling our teaching staff to provide the resources and experiences necessary to prepare and equip our learners for successful employment.
This Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) project is a DfE initiative designed to support a local response to the skills priorities set out in the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP). In our case, we chose to focus on Digital and Green skills, with our partnership of education providers successfully bidding for £6.73million (November ‘23 – March ‘25) to:
By the end of the first year of this two year LSIF programme, the Bridge Partnership managed to create….
… attracting over 1,100 new learners.
All future skilled jobs will require a degree of ‘green skills’, ranging from climate awareness and sustainability to cutting-edge technical skills to manage the earth’s depleting resources. Jobs in these sectors are forecasted to grow to 500,000 by 2030.
Education provision in relevant subjects and courses must meet the projected expansion in green priority sectors in the coming decade. Crucial to this expansion is the support of retraining and upskilling the existing labour market.
Employer demand for digital skills in the London workforce is increasing rapidly, whether at entry level, a basic job-specific level or a more advanced level.
A recent survey by the Learning and Work Institute found over half (56%) of respondents felt that their business would need more advanced digital skills over the next two to five years while a third (33%) felt that more basic digital skills would be required.
Upskilling and attracting learners to this sector is a challenge, particularly amongst under-represented groups trapped in low-paid work, including women, those with a disability and ethnic minorities.
Sam has successfully managed several change programs related to skills, education, and social mobility. This includes overseeing the £75m T Level and £6.7m Local Skills Improvement programs.
Carly is the Commercial Manager at New City College, specialising in helping businesses bridge skills gaps through the design and delivery of innovative Learning and Development strategies. With expertise in evaluating workforce needs, developing bespoke training solutions, and optimising apprenticeship levy opportunities, Carly supports organisations to enhance performance and achieve measurable growth. Their work strengthens local businesses while aligning with wider regional and global objectives, driving sustainable impact across diverse industries.
After over ten years of experience in FE, Calley's expertise lies in engaging with employers to address their skills needs and bridge the gap between education and industry. Her focus is collaboration with employers to develop tailored solutions to assist them with thriving in today's fast-paced business environment.
