Adult education is being reimagined as a driver of inclusive growth. With devolved commissioning, alongside employer-led design and outcomes, the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) London Talent Pathways programme illustrates what the next generation of adult skills provision looks like – and since 1 August 2026, Maximus is proud to be delivering it.
From the margins to the mainstream
For too long, adult education sat at the edge of policy – valued in principle, underfunded in practice and too often disconnected from the labour market it was meant to serve. That era is ending. Skills are increasingly recognised as a critical lever for boosting regional economic growth, participation in the economy and productivity.
Since the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) – formerly the Adult Education Budget (AEB) – was delegated to the Mayor of London in August 2019, more than one million learners have accessed free skills training and education programmes, supporting thousands of local residents to retrain, improve their wellbeing and gain skills that help them to progress in the world of work.
This next phase is ambitious. The London Growth Plan places skills at the centre of London’s economic strategy, raising productivity, improving incomes for the capital’s workers, as well as supporting the workforce to prepare for the green transition. It is about long-term investment in local lives, helping people develop skills and expertise that align with current and future market demand.
National skills policies, local job markets
Skills policy is most effective when joined up with local delivery and employer demand, fully integrated with place-based health and employment support. National reform matters, but it only becomes real when it helps people move into sustainable work within the places they live.
The reason devolution works is deceptively simple – skills policy may be set nationally, but labour markets are lived locally. The skills employers need in local areas such as London, the East Midlands or West Yorkshire will vary by sector, community and local economic need, highlighting the importance of a tailored, localised approach.
London Talent Pathways responds directly to that reality, combining Adult Skills Fund and Free Courses for Jobs funding to help Londoners upskill and progress into priority occupations. It is aligned to the London Growth Plan, Inclusive Talent Strategy and Local Skills Improvement Plan, with provision prioritised for low-income or unemployed Londoners and those under-represented in key sectors.
London Talent Pathways: a step change in commissioning
What makes London Talent Pathways important is not just the funding, but the model behind it. Learners must complete industry-relevant vocational training at Level 1 or above, with a strong focus on key local sectors and scope for wraparound support to help people progress into jobs, in-work progression or further learning.
Maximus is delighted to have been selected by the GLA to deliver London Talent Pathways from 1 August 2026. Our delivery will focus on finance, professional and business services; the experience economy, such as hospitality and retail; health and social care; and education.
The labour market case is clear. The GLA has highlighted demand in finance and business services for data analysis, digital and AI capability, business operations, project management, communication and problem-solving. Hospitality employment in London is forecast to grow by 1.6 per cent per year between 2025 and 2035, equivalent to 5,200 jobs annually, whilst retail is expected to generate around 11,500 sales and customer service openings each year through replacement demand.
Health and social care faces acute pressure, with NHS Trusts reporting 20,700 vacancies at the start of 2025, whilst adult social care vacancies were estimated at 22,000 in 2023/24. Looking ahead, adult social care posts will need to rise by around 33 per cent by 2040.
These are the challenges adult skills aims to address.
A system that works for young adults too
Education is also a priority sector, particularly to address the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) in the capital, which stood at 24.9% in the first quarter of 2026 – 8.7 percentage points higher than the national average.
Any serious conversation about adult skills must therefore confront youth unemployment. The issue is not simply that young people cannot find work. Evidence suggests many can enter employment, but sustaining work is harder. Anxiety, low confidence, limited experience and difficulty adjusting to workplace expectations all play a role.
That is why London Talent Pathways’ focus on progression, wraparound support and employer-designed training matters. For young Londoners aged 19 to 23 – one of the programme’s core groups – purposeful vocational training linked to real jobs can provide the structure, confidence and employer exposure needed to step into work and stay there.
Employer-led must mean more than employer-endorsed
One of the strongest features of London Talent Pathways is its insistence on employer-led provision. The GLA will establish Sector Talent Boards to advise on skills needs, identify priority occupations and shape curriculum offers, with successful providers adapting delivery plans based on that feedback.
There is a real difference between provision that is employer-endorsed and provision that is genuinely employer-led. The first may secure words of support, whilst the second changes what is taught, how it is taught and how learners are connected to work.
Maximus’ approach is built around the latter. Across our London delivery, we will draw on our dedicated partnership resource, existing employer engagement infrastructure and 300+ London-based employer relationships. These relationships have helped shape provision around real needs, from customer service and business administration to care values, food safety, teamwork and problem-solving.
This is where adult skills become practical – specific training designed backwards from the job.
Delivery, not rhetoric
London Talent Pathways shows where adult skills policy is heading – more devolved, more employer-led, more focused on outcomes and more honest about the barriers learners face.
The GLA has made Good Work outcomes a priority, such as roles that pay the London Living Wage or above. The goal is not movement into any job, but progression into more meaningful, sustainable work.
For Maximus, this reflects what we see every day. When local commissioners set the direction, employers shape the content, providers are embedded in communities and learners receive personalised support, outcomes improve.
As we launch London Talent Pathways, our commitment is simple – to co-design delivery alongside employers, support learners as whole people and keep the focus on outcomes that matter.
Now it is about delivery – together, for citizens, employers and communities alike.
