A collaboration between Bakkavor, the University of Lincoln and other educational and industrial partners to establish a Lincolnshire Institute of Technology has been approved by the Department for Education.
The new Institute which will specialise in agri-technology, food manufacturing, energy, digital and engineering, will provide employers such as Bakkavor with a skilled workforce and students with a clear route to technical employment.
There will be multiple locations providing the Institute with specialist units for subject delivery as well as a high level of availability for students throughout Lincolnshire.
Bakkavor is delighted to be one of the two anchor employer partners involved in the successful bid, as we recognise how important this could be to the future of employment provision in Greater Lincolnshire, with students being taught subjects that will benefit our industry.
The partnerships are employer-driven so that we can ensure the education being offered is constantly up to date with what our industry wants and needs. Bakkavor will also have a seat on the Board of the Institute, voting on key decisions and investments for the partnership.
The successful Lincolnshire Institute of Technology bid brings together the University of Lincoln, Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, DN Colleges Group (North Lindsey College), Bishop Burton College (Riseholme College), Boston College, Grantham College, Lincoln College, Lincoln UTC, Bakkavor Group and Olympus Automation Limited, with the support of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and CATCH.
Now the bid has been approved the first set of courses will be open from 2020.
Donna-Maria Lee, Group HR Director at Bakkavor, said, “We are delighted that the bid for a new Institute of Technology has been successful. We believe our collaboration as an anchor partner with the University of Lincoln is a great opportunity for us to drive and shape the skills we need by helping develop a future workforce that has expertise in food manufacturing and engineering.”
Professor Toby Wilkinson, Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Lincoln, said, “The creation of the Lincolnshire Institute of Technology represents another step-change for skills, jobs and productivity in our region.
'By bringing together employers across key industrial sectors – including our county’s global food manufacturing base - with regional further and higher education providers, it can drive forward the research and innovation needs of businesses and shape the workforce of the future through higher level training for young people and adult learners alike.
'The support of anchor employers like Bakkavor was fundamental to the success of Lincolnshire’s bid and we look forward to working together with them and other partners on this exciting and important project.”
