Lord Blunkett and Natalie Bonnick, Head of Supply Chain and Skills, Education & Employment for the Lower Thames Crossing, discuss the skills challenges in the construction industry
A new Lower Thames Crossing Skills Taskforce launched by Lord Blunkett will help 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 will also help develop the green skills that are needed to deliver the Lower Thames Crossing and support the move to decarbonise the UK’s construction industry.
Chaired by Lord Blunkett – who brings decades of experience in education, skills and government – the Skills Taskforce will help the project meet its ambitions by providing advice and direction, embedding a culture of transparency, and challenging it on targets and progress. The group includes Jen Craft, MP for Thurrock, Dr Lauren Sullivan, MP for Gravesham, Cllr Lynn Worrall, Leader of Thurrock, Cllr John Burden, Leader of Gravesham Council, as well as representatives from local education providers, business groups and trade unions.
The new Lower Thames Crossing Skills taskforce was launched by Lord Blunkett at the Institute of Civil Engineers last week
The project’s updated Skills Strategy outlines its skills targets including the number of graduates, apprentices, and work experience placements, as well as the number of training opportunities and hours pledged to support local teachers and students. The strategy sets out how priority groups, including prison leavers, the long-term unemployed and women returning to work, will be given support to develop the necessary skills and access opportunities for jobs.
The Lower Thames Crossing is one of Britain’s most important economic infrastructure projects. It is designed to drive growth by improving journeys for people living and doing business in Kent and Essex, and opening up opportunities through a strategic new trade route between the ports of the south-east, the Midlands and the north.
The construction industry is historically a major contributor to carbon emissions, due to its use of high carbon materials and fuels such as diesel, concrete and steel. The Lower Thames Crossing has been designated a Pathfinder project that is exploring and scaling-up low-carbon construction methods and materials. Its plans include buying British transport’s largest ever volume of green hydrogen to help it be diesel free by 2027, and kick starting the highly anticipated development of a hydrogen ecosystem in the Thames Estuary.
The project will create a local workforce by employing at least 45% of the workforce from within 20 miles of the route and at least 20% from the most impacted boroughs, and will spend at least £800m with SMEs which equates to at least £1 in every £3 of the construction budget. The project plans to open Skills Hubs in areas along the new route, that will offer training and mentoring to help local people access new and better paid jobs on their doorstep. A pilot-scheme delivered with Gallagher Group and Flannery Plant Hire, near Maidstone in Kent, last year led to every participant successfully being employed within the construction industry.
Lord Blunkett, Chair of the Lower Thames Crossing Skills Taskforce said:
“Major infrastructure projects like the Lower Thames Crossing aren’t just about what we build. They have the power to transform lives by providing meaningful, long-term opportunities for people from all walks of life. I’m honoured to serve as Skills Advisor to the project and to chair the Skills Taskforce. This independent group, made up of education leaders, trade unions, industry experts, MPs, and Council leaders, will hold the project to account, test progress, and challenge the project to go further.”
The Taskforce will help shape the new generation of skills that are needed to deliver the Lower Thames Crossing
Matt Palmer, Executive Director of the Lower Thames Crossing, said:
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build something far greater than a road. It’s our chance to invest in the new green skills needed to build the Lower Thames Crossing and help to close the gap on the construction industry’s skills shortage. Drawing on Lord Blunkett’s experience and influential local and industry leaders, we can also make a real difference within the communities around the project through new work, jobs, skills and education and build a workforce ready for the challenges of tomorrow.”
The project received planning permission in March 2025, with no legal challenges being submitted, and the Government announced funding in June 2025, which means the project is now on the path to securing private investment. Construction could start as early as 2026, with the new road expected to open in the early 2030s.
