Electrical installation is among the trades facing a skills shortage in Kent – where the construction sector is worth £4.9 billion – according to new analysis from field service management platform Field Ascend
Employers in the county have reported shortages in electrical installation, plumbing and heating, carpentry and joinery, bricklaying, plastering, scaffolding, groundworks and plant operation. The latest Kent and Medway Local Skills Improvement Plan warns that major projects, including the Lower Thames Crossing, are expected to keep demand for skilled workers high.
Construction accounts for 18.4% of businesses in Kent, compared with 15.6% across the South East and 14.1% across England. The sector supports 50,500 jobs in the county, or around 58,000 across Kent and Medway, with almost half of construction roles classed as skilled trades.
Field Ascend also ranked UK local authorities by the proportion of businesses operating in trades. Gravesham placed third nationally at 30.8%, followed by Medway (13th, 28.3%), Swale (15th, 26.3%) and Maidstone (21st, 25.8%).
Richard Skelson, Managing Director at field service management platform Field Ascend, comments: “Kent has a large trades and construction workforce, but shortages across several skilled professions mean many businesses are already trying to manage busy workloads with limited capacity.
“When teams are stretched, even small operational delays can have a knock-on effect. Engineers still need access to schedules, job details and customer information while moving between sites, and losing connectivity can make that harder.
“For homeowners, that can mean slower updates, rearranged appointments or longer gaps between stages of a job, particularly when local businesses are already balancing high demand with shortages in skilled labour.
“Gravesham stands out because nearly a third of local businesses operate in trades, while several other Kent areas also rank prominently. With so much of the local economy depending on field-based work, businesses need processes that allow jobs to keep moving without every task relying on a live mobile connection.”