As we celebrate Colleges Week 2026, our principal, Jamie Stevenson, writes about the importance of investing in skills for London to thrive.
Across London, adult learners are striving to gain the skills they need to thrive in a constantly changing economy. At Lewisham College, we see every day how transformative adult education can be for individuals, for families, for employers, and for whole communities. Yet despite its proven impact, adult education continues to face sustained and damaging underinvestment.
The past year has made this tension impossible to ignore. Government cuts to the Adult Skills Fund, including the further reductions planned for 2025/26, continue to threaten the availability of essential learning opportunities for adults across the capital.
As part of NCG, Lewisham College contributes to a network of colleges teaching tens of thousands of students nationwide, many of whom rely on adult skills provision to take their next step into work, further study or vocational progression.
But despite rising demand, funding continues to shrink. At Lewisham alone, more than 2,800 adults each year depend on programmes including English, maths, digital skills and ESOL, and that number grows to 4,400 when our colleagues at Southwark College are included. These are not abstract statistics. They represent people in our borough who are working hard to gain the skills they need to secure employment, support their families, or simply build confidence after long periods out of the labour market.
A strategic investment, not a sunk cost
This is why the Association of Colleges’ national campaign, Adult Learning Pays, could not be more timely. The campaign highlights how adult learning delivers returns far beyond the classroom. It strengthens communities, boosts local economies, improves wellbeing and creates a more adaptable and resilient workforce.
In London, where the pace of economic change is rapid, the value of adult learning is particularly clear. That’s why Lewisham College has long championed routes that support adults into new careers, whether that’s through vocational programmes, Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), employability support, or strong employer partnerships that help local residents access real jobs.
Adult learners achieve tangible outcomes: employment, progression, increased earnings, improved health, and greater social inclusion. In a borough like Lewisham -diverse, ambitious, and full of potential - these benefits add up to long-term community and economic resilience.
Cuts undermine London’s economic ambitions
The ongoing reductions to the Adult Skills Fund undermine the very goals the Government claims to prioritise, like economic growth, productivity, and social mobility. Lewisham, like many parts of London, needs more skilled workers, not fewer. Whether it's hospitality, health and social care, digital services, or green technologies, employers repeatedly tell us they want adults with the right skills, flexibility and experience.
Yet funding cuts jeopardise the programmes that deliver precisely those skills. As we have highlighted previously, these reductions disproportionately affect those who need support the most - adults without English language skills, those with low digital literacy, and those seeking entry-level qualifications that act as a stepping stone into good employment.
It is clear that if we want to drive London’s prosperity, adult learning must be expanded, not constrained.
Lewisham College’s role in London’s skills ecosystem
Lewisham College sits at the heart of one of London’s most vibrant communities. With over 4,000 students and more than 100 courses, we support local residents to secure the skills the borough, and the city urgently needs.
Our role extends beyond the classroom. We collaborate with employers, we offer flexible and community-based learning options that help adults to re-engage with education and we contribute to NCG’s national mission to drive social mobility through exceptional education, strengthening communities right across the country.
A call to action: invest where it matters most
The Adult Learning Pays campaign is clear: adult education is one of the most cost-effective, socially beneficial investments any government can make.
If we want a resilient workforce, cohesive communities and a strong economy, adult learning must be prioritised, not placed on the frontline of cuts. Investment in adult learning is not a discretionary extra, it is essential.
Lewisham College and NCG stand ready to support the AOC’s campaign and to deliver adult learning that supports that ambition. We are already working with our partners across the city to ensure learners have the opportunities they deserve, but we cannot continue to do this without funding to support it.
Jamie Stevenson, Principal at Lewisham College
