Mayor Boris Johnson vows to help London employers upskill staff

Boris Johnson has vowed to help London employers upskill their staff and develop their businesses as the UK emerges from the recession.

The London mayor's updated skills and employment strategy From Recession to Recovery, published last week, promises to work with employers to provide jobs and skills opportunities for Londoners. The five-year strategy also aims to improve value for money in the complex skills and employment system.

Johnson said: "Our key focus remains to ensure London is globally competitive, with a highly skilled workforce, whilst also tackling the problems of entrenched worklessness. This means continuing to update our strategy and draw on the experiences of all sectors. We will continue to reform the skills system so that all Londoners are made aware of the opportunities that are available and get that vital chance to share in the capital's success."

By March 2011, the mayor said he would introduce a single employment and skills service for unemployed young people in the capital, to help them find sustained work.