February 18, 2022

Tower Hamlets, One Of London’s Most Ethnically Diverse Boroughs, Secures £250K To Expand Software Engineering And Tech Training

Tower Hamlets has successfully secured £250,000 of funding on behalf of the four borough LIFT initiative to deliver a Digital Hub as part of the Mayor’s Academies Programme, which aims to support Londoners hardest hit by the pandemic.

The funding, which has been awarded to organizations across London, will help establish hubs to support residents into good work across a number of long-term economic growth sectors including digital.

The LIFT initiative, which includes Camden, Islington, and Hackney, has allocated this funding to establish a digital hub in Tower Hamlets that will provide quality mark training and bespoke support to help newly skilled people.

With a focus on digital and to meet industry demands, key areas of focus will include software engineering, web development, cyber security, digital marketing, data and business analytics, and tech consulting roles.

Tower Hamlets is one of the most ethnically diverse boroughs in London. The borough continues to experience massive change, as the population has doubled in the past 30 years, and is becoming increasingly diverse, with more than 127 languages spoken in its schools, according to Anita Khan, chief executive, and Faisal Butt, interim chair, Tower Hamlets Community Housing.

More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of the borough’s population belong to minority ethnic groups (ie not White British): 55 percent belong to BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) groups and a further 14 percent are from White minority groups. This is according to the 2011 census.

John Biggs, Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: “We’re committed to helping local residents to train and apprenticeships so that they can develop their skills and secure employment. With this funding, we will be able to ensure further development is provided in digital sectors to increase job potential and ensure long-term economic growth.”

Cllr Motin Uz-Zaman, Cabinet Member for Work, Economic Growth and Faith said: “I’m delighted we have been allocated this funding on behalf of the LIFT initiative. The pandemic has had an enormous impact on employment and so it is important that we continue to provide support to meet industry demands through the newly established hub.”

Once established, the LIFT Digital Hub will work with employers to understand emerging skill needs and recruitment challenges in the digital sector. The hub will then coordinate an offer of effective training across local providers to equip local people with the skills they need to access good jobs in the sector.

There will also be an improvement in the access to employment and training opportunities for people from groups underrepresented in the sector, including Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, women, and young people aged 16-25.

For more information on the LIFT Digital Hub, please visit https://www.liftfutures.london/our-work/digital-hubPosted on Thursday 17th February 2022

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Abbianca Makoni

Abbianca Makoni is a content executive and writer at POCIT! She has years of experience reporting on critical issues affecting diverse communities around the globe.