Skills England has published its latest analysis, Assessment of Priority Skills to 2030, revealing that employment in critical sectors is set to grow significantly faster than the wider economy, with almost one million new jobs in priority occupations projected over the next five years.

The guidance, released yesterday, is the first quantitative assessment to look across all ten priority sectors identified in the Government’s Industrial Strategy and Plan for Change, including Digital and Technologies, Adult Social Care, Construction, Engineering, Clean Energy, and the Creative Industries.

Key findings show:

• Rapid job growth in priority roles: Employment in priority occupations is expected to grow by 15% between 2025 and 2030 (from 5.9 million to 6.7 million roles), outpacing growth in non-priority occupations.
• High-demand sectors: Digital and Technologies, Adult Social Care, Construction (Housebuilding), and Engineering will see the largest increases in workforce demand.
• Skills mix needed: One third of the extra demand will be for workers with Level 2 or 3 qualifications, with two-thirds requiring Level 4 or higher.
• Education supply gap: Around 285,000 people a year currently enter priority occupations from government-funded training, with two-thirds qualified at Level 4 and above, broadly matching demand but leaving risks in key sectors.
• Most in-demand jobs: Care workers and home carers (+90,000) and programmers/software development professionals (+87,000) top the list of growth roles.

Phil Smith, Chair of Skills England, said:

“We are entering a decisive period for the UK workforce. These findings make it clear that without targeted, high-quality training and investment, we will not be ready for the jobs of tomorrow. This report is a call to action – for government, employers, educators and training providers to work together to ensure the skills system is ready for the future.”

The guidance warns that technological disruption, particularly from artificial intelligence (AI), could reshape the jobs landscape, adding uncertainty to future demand. It calls for ongoing monitoring and flexibility to ensure the skills system can adapt. Skills England will continue refining its methodology and expand future assessments to cover national, sectoral, and regional skills needs.

Sector Reaction

NCUB’s Director of Policy, Rosalind Gill, said:  

“The growing mismatch between the skills employers need and the skills available in the workforce is already holding back business performance and innovation — and risks derailing the UK’s growth ambitions. 

“Universities are ready to bridge this gap. Two-thirds of future jobs will require advanced skills, and with the right investment and policy backing, universities can rapidly scale up agile, mid-level qualifications tailored to adult learners. The Lifelong Learning Entitlement offers a powerful tool to make this possible — expanding access, boosting productivity, and strengthening our global competitiveness. But this must be underpinned by a sustainable funding model for universities and a culture of effective, long-term partnerships with employers.

“Apprenticeships must also be part of the solution. They offer a proven route into priority sectors, combining academic excellence with hands-on experience through university–business partnerships. Funding for Level 7 apprenticeships in critical health professions – the details of which were published today by the NHS – is a vital example of decisive action taken to open doors to in-demand roles and support continual professional development in critical sectors.  

“Yet access to apprenticeship opportunities for adult learners is shrinking. If we are to meet 2030 skills demands, we must extend this commitment to other sectors, enabling more people to access these transformative pathways and helping the UK meet future skills needs.”