South East
Kent and Medway
Local Skills Improvement Plan 2026-2029 · set by Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce
- 18
- Priority sectors
- 34
- Occupations in demand
- 51
- Skills named
- 4
- Funding streams
The Kent & Medway LSIP 2026-2029, produced by Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce (the Employer Representative Body), aligns skills supply with employer demand across an SME-dominated economy (90%+ microbusinesses; below-average Level 4+ attainment at 32.7%). It names six priority sectors: Adult Social Care; Construction and the Built Environment; Creative Industries; Fresh Food, Horticulture, Agriculture and Viticulture; Manufacturing and Engineering; and Tourism and the Visitor Economy.
What employers here asked for
- Adult Social Care
- Construction and the Built Environment
- Creative Industries
- Fresh Food, Horticulture, Agriculture and Viticulture
- Manufacturing and Engineering
- Tourism and the Visitor Economy
- Energy (aligned to Clean Energy Industries)
- Agri-Food and Agri-Tech
- Ports, Transport and Logistics
- Health, Life Sciences and Med-Tech
National growth sectors
Designated by government, not chosen locally.
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Clean Energy Industries
- Creative Industries
- Defence
- Digital and Technologies
- Financial Services
- Life Sciences
- Professional and Business Services
Occupations in demand
A sample: 16 of the 34 occupations the plan names.
- 01Registered Managers
- 02Social care nurses
- 03Direct care staff / care workers
- 04Deputy managers and aspiring leaders
- 05Bricklayers and carpenters/joiners
- 06Plumbers and electricians (electrical installation)
- 07Plasterers, dryliners, roofers and scaffolders
- 08Plant operators and groundworkers
- 09Surveyors, site engineers and civils supervisors
- 10Site managers and supervisors
- 11Quantity surveyors, estimators and procurement
- 12Planning officers
- 13Building services designers
- 14Plant maintenance mechanics
- 15Retrofit coordinators / low-carbon heating installers
- 16Programmers and software developers, and IT managers
Jobs advertised right now
Skills named in the plan
A sample: 12 of the 51 skills the plan names, grouped by kind.
Digital
- Digital capability including AI-enabled workflows
- Digital care, assistive technology and information governance
Technical
- Net Zero / decarbonisation competence (low-carbon awareness, sustainable operating behaviours)
- Dementia care and delegated healthcare tasks
- Level 2+ adult social care qualification (core care competence)
- Bricklaying and carpentry/joinery
- Plumbing and electrical installation
- Plastering, drylining, roofing and scaffolding
- Plant operation, groundworks and specialist civils (formwork, steel fixing, concrete operations)
- Surveying, site engineering and civils supervision
- Quantity surveying, estimating and procurement
- Building services design capability