Kent & Medway Strengthens Skills Vision with New 2025 LSIP Update

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Local Skills Improvement Plan
by Sarah Parrish

The Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce has today released its 2025 Kent & Medway Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) Progress Report, reaffirming the region’s commitment to closing critical skills gaps and supporting economic growth through strengthened employer-led collaboration.

Building on the foundations laid by the 2023 LSIP and the earlier 2022 trailblazer plan, this latest update also reflects the significant progress captured in the 2024 Progress Report, which marked the LSIP’s first full year of implementation. That report highlighted the vital role of sustained employer engagement and helped shape the priorities that continue to drive the LSIP forward in 2025.

The 2025 report shows continued momentum across five priority sectors:

  • Manufacturing & Engineering
  • Construction
  • Fresh Food & Food Production
  • Education
  • Health and Social Care

Formally approved by the Secretary of State, the LSIP is underpinned by statutory guidance within the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022. The plan sets out a clear framework to align workforce development with local business needs – backed by deepening partnerships between employers, educators, and regional stakeholders.

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith welcomed the update, commenting:

“I am pleased to see the progress being made to bring these Local Skills Improvement Plans to life. 

“We remain committed to the LSIP model as part of our Plan for Change, and have strengthened the role that Mayors and Strategic Authorities will play in identifying and addressing the local skills issues in the plans.

 “Skills England will work hand-in-hand with businesses, education providers, Mayors and Strategic Authorities, unions, and other bodies to tackle skills shortages, co- creating solutions to ensure more opportunities for young people and existing workers wherever they are based in the country”.

Looking ahead, the Kent & Medway LSIP outlines five areas of strategic focus:

  • Strengthening cross-sector collaboration
  • Aligning workforce development with evolving sector demands
  • Supporting inclusive career pathways and tackling recruitment barriers
  • Embedding sustainability and digital capabilities across training
  • Empowering SMEs and leveraging infrastructure projects like the Lower Thames Crossing

Tudor Price, CEO of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, added:

“We’re proud to have worked alongside so many collaborative and innovative organisations during the creation of this progress report, and it is that collaborative partnership that is responsible for delivering so many positive outcomes. The report continues to shine a light on key sectors that are struggling and successfully identifies what they are at a granular level and makes recommendations. The successful impact of the LSIP has been self-evident and I congratulate the Team on their achievements and look forward to continued progress.”

The 2025 LSIP update serves as a living blueprint—evolving with regional needs, championing innovation, and reinforcing Kent & Medway’s position as a leader in employer-driven skills reform.

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