Transferable skills must become a key focus for education and training as economic recovery post-Covid-19 begins, businesses have said. 

A report from London First and the Lloyds Banking Group, published today, says that in order to drive a “step-change” in the capital’s skills performance, central and local governments will have to break down the barriers to reskilling the workforce and focus on the "soft skills" that firms are looking for – including emotional intelligence, creativity, collaboration and resilience. 

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Mark Hilton, executive director of people at the business campaigning group London First, said that it was vital that the London skills system helped to train and reskill displaced workers.“There has long been a lack of transferable and digital skills in school leavers, as well as a need for a strategy for lifelong learning and reskilling," he said. "This is now of crucial importance for our recovery and the future success of our capital. All parties – businesses, education and government – must now work together to ensure that future generations are not left behind.”

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The reports calls for action in three areas:

1. Building the skills that London needs to be future-fit – from establishing a London-specific careers strategy and adult retraining scheme, to increasing business support to help build transferable skills in London schools.
2. Removing barriers to a reskilling and upskilling revolution – from incentivising businesses to increase their investment in developing skills for the future, to enhancing recruitment practices and improved profiling of female and black and minority ethnic role models.
3. Working together to keep London skilled – from increasing the share of business voice on the mayor’s Skills for Londoners Board, to devolving skills powers and funding to London and other UK cities. 

Ed Thurman, Lloyds Banking Group ambassador for London, said that building transferable soft skills such as confidence, communication and teamwork, was more important than ever.

He added: "It is these vital skills that will lay the foundation for London businesses to emerge from lockdown and look to a brighter future for the economy and support the UK recovery.”