Skills Taskforce meets as Lower Thames Crossing gets ready for construction

The Lower Thames Crossing Skills Taskforce came together for its second meeting this week to check in on progress and talk through some of the big workforce challenges ahead. 

Led by Lord Blunkett, the taskforce launched last year to help develop the green skills needed to meet the project’s ambitious low-carbon targets and support the construction industry’s drive toward net-zero, with a focus on new jobs, skills and business opportunities for the local community. As well as helping the project to tackle local and industry skills shortages, with an estimated 35,000 construction sector vacancies across the country, the taskforce is also helping shape the new generation of skills that are needed to deliver the project and support the move to decarbonise the UK’s construction industry.

This meeting comes at an exciting moment as the project gets ready for construction and the first Skills Hub officially opens.

The new Skills Hub in Gravesham is already giving local people the chance to learn construction skills for free. The courses are designed around the project’s immediate needs, and anyone who completes one is guaranteed an interview with a local employer. A second Skills Hub in Essex is due to open in 2027.

Natalie Bonnick, Head of Supply Chain Development, Skills, Education & Employment, said: "Yesterday, we held the second Skills Taskforce, chaired by Lord David Blunkett, bringing together local stakeholders to collectively discuss challenges that the construction industry faces, and see how best the Lower Thames Crossing can deliver a lasting skills legacy. Since the Taskforce last met, we have opened our first Skills Hub in Gravesham, delivered over 1,000 hours of STEM engagement with local schools and colleges, and welcomed a new cohort of apprentices onto the project. As the project gets ready for construction, and the number of job opportunities on the project steadily increasing, now is the time to invest in our local communities."

The Skills Taskforce includes Jen Craft, MP for Thurrock, Dr Lauren Sullivan, MP for Gravesham, Cllr Lynn Worrall, Leader of Thurrock Council, Cllr John Burden, Leader of Gravesham Council, as well as representatives from local education providers, business groups and trade unions.

The Skills Strategy sets out targets for graduates, apprentices, work experience placements and training opportunities, as well as support for teachers and students. The project has committed to employing at least 45% of its workforce from within 20 miles of the route. And with at least a third of the construction budget set to go to small and medium‑sized businesses, there will be plenty of opportunities for local firms.

The Lower Thames Crossing is one of Britain’s most significant infrastructure projects, designed to boost growth by improving journeys for people living and working in Kent and Essex, and by creating a new strategic trade route linking the south‑east with the Midlands and the north.

For further information contact us at info@lowerthamescrossing.co.uk or by calling 0300 123 5000. You can also get the latest updates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and our YouTube channel.