Richmond's Lib Dem council: 1,200+ people into training and jobs since 2020

Richmond Work Match, run by the borough's Liberal Democrat council, has helped over 1,200 residents into training or work since 2020: 872 into training, and 337 into lasting jobs.

If you've been job-hunting recently, you'll know the market isn't easy right now. Employers across the UK are struggling to find and keep skilled staff, but in Richmond, the council's employment scheme is bucking that trend.

Councillor Phil Giesler, the council's Lead Member for Business and Growth, put it plainly: "Richmond has one of the strongest local economies in London, but we cannot take that success for granted. If our borough is to continue to thrive, we must ensure local people have the skills, training and opportunities they need to succeed in a changing economy."

That's the core of the Lib Dems' pitch on the economy: growth only means something if it's shared. Nationally, the party wants to see the apprenticeship levy replaced with a broader, more flexible skills and training levy, so funding reaches the people who need retraining most, not just those already in work.

Richmond's approach follows the same principle locally. The council's scheme specifically targets people who often get left behind in the jobs market, including those managing health conditions or juggling caring responsibilities, through a new strand called Connect to Work.

The service itself is free. It covers CV writing, interview prep, and confidence-building for residents, plus free recruitment support for local businesses. Employers like Richmond AID and Code Cadets have called it "easy," "efficient" and "stress-free" to work with.

In June, nearly 500 residents and 30 local organisations turned out for Employ Richmond, a jobs and training event showing just how much demand there is.

Five years in, Richmond Work Match is a real example of what a council can do when it treats economic fairness as a priority, not an afterthought.