WorldSkills London 2011 is committed to engaging  a wide range of stakeholders and involving them not just in the four days of the Competition, but in the longer term objectives around raising awareness and respect for vocational skills. November saw the launch of two important groups to help us achieve this.

In our new London Group, we are working with City Hall and a wide range of other influential London organisations to discuss how London can make the most out of hosting the event in 2011. It's a great opportunity for London to showcase what an amazing city it is to an expectant international audience, and encourage maximum participation from London's young people.

Although hosted in London, WorldSkills London 2011 is very much a showcase for the UK. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), who are supporting WorldSkills London 2011, played host to the Legacy Group, bringing together a wider range of organisations and supporters from across the whole of the UK. During a morning workshop, we looked at the long term legacy objectives and how, as a collective of organisations, we could all contribute to their delivery. Participants were full of good ideas about how we can engage with our target audience and ensure maximum collaboration.

The Legacy Group will continue to meet and participants will be encouraged to play an active role in making WorldSkills London 2011 the success it undoubtably deserves to be.