Kent Thameside

Introduction and Mission Statement

Kent Thameside is one of a small number of key locations critical to the overall success of the Thames Gateway and the Sustainable Communities Plan. The opening of the new International Station on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link at Ebbsfleet in 2007 and the arrival of domestic services in 2009 will reposition Kent Thameside as a place to invest.  It has the potential for up to 30,000 new homes and 50,000 new jobs, around new public transport connections, in a green environment, using difficult brownfield sites. Its success will demonstrate the potential for accommodating major growth in the South East in a sustainable way.

Over 10,000 new jobs have already come to Kent Thameside at developments such as Bluewater and the Crossways Business Park and it is anticipated that a further 40,000 jobs will be created over the next 20 years.

Thousands of job opportunities in construction and related trades will be created at major sites such as Ebbsfleet and Eastern Quarry and a broad range of other job opportunities, including finance, retail and public sector, will become available in parallel with development.

The Kent Thameside Delivery Board has developed a local employment initiative, Employ Kent Thameside (Employ KT), to help local residents to take best advantage of these opportunities. The project aims to secure jobs for local people and to provide a pool of skilled labour. It will promote and develop local employment and skills initiatives, providing services such as advice for job seekers and employers, recruitment centres and training programmes.

Recently Employ KT has launched a job shop at The Bridge construction site at Dartford, to encourage skilled local people to register for work on that site.  The job shop will provide a job brokerage service to all the main contractors and sub-contractors working on The Bridge development and on other development sites across Kent Thameside as they come on stream.  The job shop will provide the service free of charge and offers a single, easy-access location and point of contact for both employers and job seekers.  The brokerage will use a state of the art job brokerage database to sort and match employers and applicants.

Research has found that there is a severe shortage of skilled people working in the building trades, compounded by a lack of careers advice for specialised workers such as bricklayers, carpenters and roofers. Improving educational attainment and raising skill levels and aspirations among residents is essential. Learning providers across Kent Thameside will be linked to ensure access to learning, from basic skills through to postgraduate provision.  Family and community-based learning, including traditional learning and vocational training, will promote positive attitudes to lifelong learning.

Employ Kent Thameside is supported by SEEDA, Urban Thames Gateway Kent (EU fund), Job Centre Plus and the Kent Thameside Economic Board.  It counts amongst its partners the Learning Skills Council, Kent Guidance Consortium, Gateway Knowledge Alliance, Land Securities, North West Kent College and has full support of Kent County Council, Dartford and Gravesham Borough Councils.