Engagement

Working with East London on jobs, skills and growth

Queen Mary’s East London Civic Action Network brings together organisations that have a major influence on the future of East London, including businesses, councils, universities, healthcare organisations and charities. In March 2026, more than 150 leaders came together at Canary Wharf for a Queen Mary-led summit on growth, skills and innovation.

The discussion focused on practical challenges facing the region, including skills shortages, access to good jobs, social mobility and how employers can build stronger local talent pipelines. The aim is not simply to encourage economic growth, but to make sure people living in East London have a fair chance to benefit from it.

Using apprenticeships to build local skills 

Queen Mary uses apprenticeship funding both for its own staff and to help other organisations develop their workforce. The University transferred £30,000 from its Apprenticeship Levy to Bright Young Futures, a Redbridge charity working with young care leavers. That funding supported six apprenticeships for staff working with young people who need help with housing and independent living.

Queen Mary also runs apprenticeship programmes for its staff in areas including data, coaching, leadership and management. At the point reported by the University, 40 staff were undertaking apprenticeships and 20 had completed their programmes. Queen Mary apprentices are paid on University salary scales above the London Living Wage and receive the same employment rights and conditions as other employees.

Sharing student expertise with businesses and communities 

Businesses, charities and public organisations can work directly with Queen Mary students through programmes such as SKETCH, qNomics and qLegal. Students take on real organisational problems, from market research and business planning to legal advice, financial analysis and technology projects.

In 2024/25, SKETCH involved 1,376 students and 170 partner organisations. It delivered 63 knowledge-exchange activities, including 55 interdisciplinary projects. For external organisations, this provides access to student talent and university expertise. For students, it is an opportunity to learn how their academic knowledge works in practice.

London Social Ventures

London Social Ventures was created to help promising ideas move from universities into the real world. The programme brings together universities, entrepreneurs and civic organisations, offering funding, mentoring and practical support to people building ventures around social and environmental challenges.

In its first two years, participants came from 15 London universities and received £293,000 in grant funding. One part of the programme, the Adult Social Care Impact Launchpad, worked with Care City CIC to support ideas tackling problems such as workforce stress and staff retention in social care.

There were also clear signs of business growth. Among ventures in the Catalyst strand, employment increased from 16 to 42 jobs and combined revenue rose from £1.1 million to £2.1 million.  For Queen Mary, the value of the programme is that economic growth and social impact are being pursued together. The ventures are expected to become viable businesses, but they are also trying to address problems that matter to communities.