The mayor of London has also published a skills and adult education strategy – Skills for Londoners – which aims to ensure Londoners have the skills, education and training they need to succeed and help the capital’s economy to grow.

The launch of the academy comes after Khan felt that new plans to speed up housebuilding could be undermined by a looming skills shortage in London’s construction sector.

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The academy has been developed with the support of construction employers, industry experts and skills providers. 

Rather than having one single centre, the academy is a network of construction skills providers across London, which will work closely together and with construction employers.

It is partly funded through the London Economic Action Partnership’s (LEAP) growth deal with central government, which included £8m allocated to the programme. 

“I’m committed to building the workforce of the future – and a key part of this is recognising the best skills providers across the city and using them as exemplars from which others can learn,” said the mayor of London.

“London faces a number of skills challenges and today I have laid out my plans to address these and, in so doing, make London’s skills system the envy of the world.”