Lincoln College is celebrating after the Ministry of Defence announcement that it is to receive more than £750,000 in funding to ensure defence skills are delivered over the next five years.
More than £80 million of funding in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Education is being made available across the UK.
Managing Director, International & Commercial at Lincoln College, James Foster, said: “The news that capital funding of £299,707 and programme funding of £455,000 is on the way is fantastic. We are one of only three FE colleges nationwide to receive this particular tranche of funding.
“The two streams of income are ring-fenced for specific projects and educational programmes that we bid for that support delivery of new higher technical qualifications at Levels 4 and 5 in cyber security, secure systems and operational technologies.
“The project will create specialist progression pathways into defence, aerospace and advanced manufacturing careers through employer-led curriculum design, specialist facilities, innovation partnerships and strong collaboration with universities and industry.
“This will support the establishment of the East Midlands as a nationally significant centre for defence and cyber security skills, through our state-of-the-art Air and Space Institute.
“This also supports our recently awarded Defence Technical Excellence College (DTEC) status which further cements this link with the wider industry.”
The funding is set to:
· Increase student places in computing and engineering courses
· Boost the number of graduates for defence-related skills and roles
· Support institutions to develop new, cutting-edge teaching facilities
· Increase the proportion of young people participating in Level 4 study or higher.
The programme funding will:
· Support increased growth in student places for computing and engineering courses at levels 4-6
· Cover the costs of delivering higher cost provision, at £7,000 per place
· Start from academic year 2026-27 and support new cohorts of students starting in academic years 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29
The Lincoln College funding is set to:
· Increase student places in cyber security, secure systems and operational technologies
· Boost the number of graduates for defence-related skills and roles
· Support institutions to develop new, cutting-edge teaching facilities
· Increase the proportion of young people participating in Level 4 study or higher
· Start from the 2026-27 academic year, supporting new cohorts from 2027-28 to 2029-30
· The capital funding will be available for three years, ending 2028-29.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP said: “We are creating more opportunities for young people across the UK to learn new skills and secure good, well-paid jobs in defence.
“This funding will see 24 superb universities and colleges offer more students places to learn these skills of the future.
“We know our outstanding Armed Forces are only as strong as the industry that stands behind them, and through this investment we’re strengthening our national security and helping drive defence as an engine for growth.”
