The partnership will integrate further and higher education, technical training, apprenticeships, research, and innovation. It aims to create clearer routes into education, training, and employment, while assisting businesses in accessing necessary skills and talent for growth.
Initially, the alliance will concentrate on the Defence and Security sector, leveraging the region's existing strengths, with plans to expand into other key industries crucial for future economic development.
Professor Neal Juster, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, stated, “This alliance is about seeing what is possible when we connect our respective strengths and begin thinking about education and skills as a system serving the needs of our region.” He highlighted the importance of connecting education, skills, research, innovation, and employers.
Mark Locking, Chief Executive and Principal of Lincoln College Group, added, “We want to make the journey from school through technical education, apprenticeships and higher education into employment and continuing professional development clearer and easier to navigate for all of our learners, young and old.”
The focus on Defence and Security acknowledges the sector's significance to Greater Lincolnshire's economy, which includes a substantial Royal Air Force presence and a growing defence and security ecosystem. Lincoln College holds Defence Technical Excellence College (DTEC) status, and the University of Lincoln is a founding member of the Government’s Defence Universities Alliance.
The collaboration aims to ensure education and training better meet industry needs, helping employers secure talent and creating new opportunities across Greater Lincolnshire. It will also support the region's Local Growth Plan, working with the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority and other partners.
Further ambitions include strengthening collaboration in sectors such as agri-food and agri-tech, advanced manufacturing, energy, health and care, and AI and digital technologies. The institutions plan to involve other education providers, employers, public services, and industry partners.
Professor Juster concluded, “The opportunity now is to bring those strengths together more effectively, working with partners across the region to support new opportunities for our communities and businesses.”
