People with skills

The Borough has a population exceeding 189,000, with high levels of employment and above average earnings (and high disposable income) Richmond upon Thames consistently exceeds London and UK averages in education, skills and training and has one of the highest proportions of highly educated residents in London.

The profile of the workforce refl ects the nature of the service orientated economy, with most jobs in the borough relating to business services, hotels and restaurants, retail services and culture/leisure. The surrounding boroughs such as Hounslow and Kingston provide an excellent source of employees for employment in, for example, sales and customer service jobs.

Key facts

• 72,700 jobs within the borough in 2008
• 20,467 (14.85% of the economically active residents are self employed (2011 Census)
• 53% of residents are educated to NVQ Level 4 and above compared to the London average of 37.7% (2011 Census)

Training providers

Richmond upon Thames is home to a range of Higher and Further education establishments and neighbouring boroughs host additional Universities and colleges. These organisations provide support for training for new and existing staff as well as offering bespoke research and knowledge transfer services, placements and internships.

• St Mary’s University College which offers a range of Degree and vocational courses including Sports Management, Education, and Masters in Tourism and Charity Management.
• The Richmond American International University of London as well as the German School and Swedish School are highly popular amongst overseas families who come to work or set up business in the borough/
• Kingston University offers a range of services for businesses and a portfolio of industrial courses, many with business placements.
• Roehampton University is one of the newest universities in the UK and offers a range of courses from Media, Culture and Journalism, to International Management and Finance; to Neuroscience and Immunology.
• Richmond Adult Community College (RACC) provides a centre of learning where students can extend existing skills. Courses range from Business Studies and Enterprise to Foreign Languages and Community Leisure.
• Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) offers a range of courses at Further Education level and can organise bespoke training support for businesses.
• Hawk Training is a local private skills provider that can offer Retail and Customer Service focussed training.