The college sector needs to be reformed, Boris Johnson has said.

The mayor of London has confirmed that he will be involved in the area review of FE provision in the capital, but said the process was still “in the early stages”.

Reviews of FE provision by region were announced by the government earlier this year, with the intention of creating “fewer, larger and more financially resilient organisations”. To date, seven regional reviews have been announced. The review of provision in the capital is expected to begin in spring 2016.

When asked what he believed London’s college sector should look like after the review, Mr Johnson told TES: “It is premature to comment on that, but it is clear the sector needs reform.”

Speaking after visiting the London Skills careers event this afternoon, Mr Johnson said public opinion on apprenticeships had shifted, with many more people seeing them as promising career paths.

Mr Johnson said they were “one way” of addressing the capital’s skills needs, and could help young people “get into some of the more technical and difficult industries” the current education system was not preparing them for.