Institute of Education London

London Strategic Unit (LSU) for the Learning and Skills Workforce

Pip Kings  Director of the London Strategic Unit

LSU was established on the initiative of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) London Region and the London Development Agency (LDA) to provide a strategic lead for the professional development of London's FE (Further Education) workforce and a support structure created to improve the quality of teaching and learning.

LSU is now based within the National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy (NRDC).

LSU manages the talent website. This is the one stop shop for anybody working in the lifelong learning sector and includes information on professional development routes, a database of initial teacher training and continuing professional development (CPD), job vacancies, updates on the sector, networks and teaching and teacher training resources. It also hosts specific information for refugees thinking about teaching in FE.

Current LSU areas of work include:

• LSU survey of initial teacher training (ITT) and continuing professional development (CPD) programmes 
  LSU maintains a database of teacher training programmes for the lifelong learning sector on the Talent website
• Supporting workforce development in London for the lifelong learning sector
  LSU is able to offer support to help providers work towards a fully qualified teaching workforce through developing practical plans for professional development.
• London teacher trainer network
  These meetings enable teacher trainers across London to meet and discuss their experiences and concerns.