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Our LSIP Project Manager, Camilla Maurice, has had a particularly busy few days, making a second trip to London in as many days to attend a landmark Westminster event celebrating a major step forward for construction skills across the South East.
On Thursday 30 April, Camilla attended the formal parliamentary launch of the South East Construction Technical Excellence College (SECTEC) at the House of Lords – an important milestone in strengthening high‑quality, employer‑led technical education provision across the region.
The breakfast reception was convened by Policy Connect in partnership with Kent Further Education (KFE) and supported by SECTEC, NOCN Group and Willmott Dixon. The event brought together MPs, officials from the Department for Education and Skills England, alongside employers and sector leaders, to mark the parliamentary launch of SECTEC and highlight the critical role of technical education in supporting regional growth and national infrastructure priorities.
The reception was hosted by Lord Knight of Weymouth, with a keynote address from the Skills Minister, Jacqui Smith – The Rt Hon the Baroness Smith of Malvern.
Attendees heard contributions from a range of speakers representing government, education, industry and learners, including:
Together, speakers highlighted the importance of collaboration between further education providers, employers and policymakers to ensure the construction workforce is equipped with the skills needed to meet future demand.
SECTEC is led by North Kent College, working through the Kent Further Education (KFE) strategic partnership with EKC Group and MidKent College and other regional FE colleges across the south. The programme aims to drive a step change in the quality, scale and consistency of construction skills provision across the South East.
By working closely with construction industry partners, employer representative bodies and wider stakeholders, SECTEC will help address workforce shortages linked to major infrastructure projects and ambitious housing delivery targets, while supporting learners to progress into high‑quality employment.
We are delighted to see the parliamentary launch of SECTEC and look forward to continuing our work with SECTEC at North Kent College and the wider network of further education providers across Kent & Medway and beyond.
Through the Local Skills Improvement Plan, we remain committed to supporting employer‑led collaboration, ensuring the skills system responds effectively to the needs of businesses, learners and the regional economy.
