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The Kent & Medway Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) 2026-2029 has published its dedicated Manufacturing & Engineering Sector Skills Plan, setting out the key workforce challenges facing the sector and the actions needed to ensure employers can access the talent and skills required to innovate, grow and remain competitive over the next three years.
Manufacturing and engineering remains a vital part of the Kent and Medway economy, supporting around 3,465 businesses and more than 43,000 jobs across the region. Generating over £4 billion in economic value annually, the sector encompasses everything from advanced engineering and metal fabrication to food production, plastics, pharmaceuticals and specialist manufacturing. Forecasts indicate continued growth, creating both opportunities and challenges for employers.
However, the evidence gathered through the LSIP highlights several significant workforce pressures. Employers report ongoing recruitment difficulties for roles including welders, CNC machinists, maintenance engineers and design technicians. These challenges are compounded by an ageing workforce, low numbers of young people entering the sector, and increasing demand for digital, automation and engineering skills.
Key Priorities for Manufacturing & Engineering
The Sector Plan identifies a number of priorities that employers believe are critical to the future success of manufacturing and engineering across Kent and Medway:
From Priorities to Action
The LSIP does not simply identify challenges; it sets out a clear programme of activity to address them.
Planned actions include improving careers education and sector promotion, creating more opportunities for work experience and industry placements, and making it easier for SMEs to engage with training and apprenticeship programmes. The plan also supports the development of a proposed Group Training Association (GTA), which would enable smaller businesses to access shared apprenticeship infrastructure, reduce administrative burdens and support training in specialist areas where individual employers may struggle to sustain provision independently.
Alongside this, employers and providers will work together to strengthen higher-level technical pathways, increase opportunities for progression, and ensure learners develop the skills needed to thrive in increasingly automated and technology-driven workplaces. Industry 4.0 capabilities, digital skills, AI awareness and sustainable manufacturing practices will be embedded throughout delivery.
The plan also recognises several cross-cutting priorities that are essential to the future workforce. These include improving employability skills, strengthening digital and AI capability, embedding Net Zero awareness and low-carbon practices, increasing education workforce capacity, and making the skills system easier for SMEs to engage with and navigate.
Employer Perspective
Gary Allen, Managing Director of Wire Belt Company Ltd in Sittingbourne, said:
“The work carried out through the LSIP 2026-2029 has clearly defined the areas that need addressing in the manufacturing sector specifically by improving the engagement with local education providers to ensure a pipeline of sustainable talent into the future whilst also considering low carbon technologies when training new staff, this is something that Wire Belt is completely committed to and will improve our business going forwards.”
Looking Ahead
The Manufacturing & Engineering Sector Plan provides a clear roadmap for strengthening workforce capacity and supporting future growth across Kent and Medway. Through closer collaboration between employers, education providers and strategic partners, the plan aims to build stronger talent pipelines, improve access to higher-level skills, accelerate adoption of new technologies and equip the workforce for the transition to a lower-carbon economy.
As delivery begins, progress will be reviewed throughout the 2026-2029 LSIP cycle to ensure activity continues to reflect employer need and supports the long-term success of one of Kent and Medway’s most important sectors.
Get Involved
The success of the Manufacturing & Engineering Sector Plan relies on continued employer engagement. Whether you are interested in supporting curriculum development, offering industry placements, hosting workplace visits, joining sector discussions, exploring apprenticeships, or helping to shape future skills provision, we would welcome your involvement.
To find out more about the Manufacturing & Engineering Sector Plan, the Kent Manufacturing Focus Group (KMFG), or opportunities to support delivery of the LSIP priorities, please contact the Kent & Medway LSIP team at lsip@kentinvictachamber.co.uk. We are keen to hear from businesses of all sizes that want to help shape the future workforce, strengthen local talent pipelines and support the continued growth of the manufacturing and engineering sector across Kent and Medway.
Read the full Manufacturing & Engineering Sector Plan below and explore the wider Kent & Medway LSIP 2026-2029, including all associated annexes here.
