Unlocking Kent & Medway’s Potential: A Call to Business for Skills Collaboration

As Kent & Medway continues to evolve as a dynamic economic region, the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) stands as a cornerstone of its strategy to close critical skills gaps and future-proof its workforce. Led by the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce and funded by the UK Government, the LSIP is a bold, employerdriven initiative that places businesses at the heart of the skills conversation.

Aims and Objectives: Business-Led Skills Transformation

The LSIP’s primary goal is to create a responsive, collaborative framework that aligns workforce development with the real-world needs of Kent & Medway’s employers. It seeks to:

• Identify and address sector-specific and cross-cutting skills shortages

• Empower education providers to deliver training that meets evolving industry demands

• Foster inclusive career pathways and tackle recruitment barriers

• Embed sustainability and digital capabilities across all training provision

• Support SMEs and leverage infrastructure projects like the Lower Thames Crossing

• Address tutor shortages through innovative models such as dual-professional pathways

Timeline and Key Achievements in Kent & Medway

The LSIP journey began with the 2022 Trailblazer Plan, followed by the formal publication of the Kent & Medway LSIP in August 2023.

Since then, the region has seen:

• The 2024 Progress Report, marking the first full year of implementation

• The 2025 LSIP Update, which reaffirmed the region’s commitment to employer-led collaboration and highlighted progress across five priority sectors: Manufacturing & Engineering, Construction, Fresh Food & Food Production, Education, and Health & Social Care

• Sector-specific activities, capital investments, and skills provision initiatives that have begun to reshape the local training landscape

Why Employer Engagement Is Non-Negotiable

At the heart of the LSIP is a simple but powerful principle: employers must lead the way. Their insights, challenges, and ambitions shape the skills agenda and ensure that training provision is relevant, future-focused, and impactful.

As we enter a new phase of the LSIP, the need for employer collaboration is more urgent than ever. The next iteration of the plan, due for publication in June 2026, will be built on fresh intelligence gathered through:

• Sector skills surveys (Autumn 2025)

• Employer forums and roundtables

• Direct consultations with businesses across Kent & Medway

This is not just a policy exercise, it’s a call to action. Businesses are invited to:

• Share insights on recruitment challenges and future workforce priorities

• Help shape sector-specific studies and provision mapping

• Participate in pilot programmes and showcase best practice

A Living Blueprint for Regional Growth

The LSIP is not a static document, it’s a living blueprint that evolves with the region’s needs. It champions innovation, celebrates collaboration, and reinforces Kent & Medway’s position as a leader in employer-driven skills reform.

As Tudor Price, CEO of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, aptly puts it: “The successful impact of the LSIP has been self-evident… and it is that collaborative partnership that is responsible for delivering so many positive outcomes.”

Get Involved

To shape the future of skills in Kent & Medway, contact the team, lsip@kentinvictachamber.co.uk, and explore how your business can contribute to the next phase of the LSIP.

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