Skills England CEO visits New City College to discuss collaboration on jobs and skills for the future

New City College welcomed Skills England joint CEO Tessa Griffiths CBE to discuss how Skills England and the Further Education sector will work together to address the country’s skills and employment challenges.

The visit included Skills England colleagues as well as Policy Delivery Director at BusinessLDN, Mark Hilton, and the Greater London Authority’s Assistant Director for Skills and Employment, Ayo Akande.

The visit to NCC’s Hackney Campus gave the opportunity to showcase the college’s green skills facilities and advanced IT suites which are used for AI, data and cyber security courses, both of which have been funded by the Local Skills Improvement Fund.

Tessa discussed future policy priorities with leading NCC staff and toured the specialist facilities. She heard how these are enabling students to bridge the gap between theory and real-world application.

Established earlier this year, Skills England works across government departments with the clear vision of better skills for better jobs. Talking with New City College’s Group Principal & CEO Gerry McDonald CBE and other college managers, Tessa and colleagues discussed the opportunities and challenges faced by the further education sector in light of the government’s recently published Modern Industrial Strategy and related skills plans for specific industry sectors.

One of the country’s largest and most influential colleges, New City College is rated Outstanding by Ofsted and is a sector leader in a number of specialisms. The college was announced as one of the country’s 10 Construction Technical Excellence Colleges in August 2025 and has received numerous national and international accolades for its focus on sustainability and green skills. The college is also well placed to support the national skills agenda on technical and soft skills, providing its students with the job-ready skills that employers need.

Tessa Griffiths CBE commented:

“Skills England recognises that further education colleges can and should be at the centre of our mission to get people into jobs and to build their successful careers. I am very grateful to Gerry and his team at New City College for sharing their insights into how we can all work together to achieve this.”

Gerry McDonald CBE said New City College shared Skills England’s vision and ambition.

He added:

“Welcoming Tessa and colleagues to our campus was an encouraging opportunity for a genuine discussion about our joint aspiration as well as some of the sector’s challenges around policy and funding, and our willingness to find solutions.”

New City College is committed to equipping students of all ages with the skills they need to succeed in life and work. School leavers, apprentices and adult learners benefit from a wide range of courses and qualifications, helping them to achieve their goals.