Lincolnshire’s Food Production Workforce
Reflecting Lincolnshire’s status as Great Britain’s leading county for arable farming,¹ the area is home to 16,000 agricultural workers² – more than 3 X the Great Britain average as a percentage of the total workforce.
Lincolnshire’s Food Manufacturing Workforce
Lincolnshire’s food manufacturing workforce is a clear leader in Great Britain. With 24,000 workers, it is significantly larger than those in England’s other major food production areas, and more than 3 X the Great Britain average as a percentage of the total workforce.³
Local Area Specialisations in Lincolnshire’s Agrifood Workforce
Lincolnshire’s local areas all offer highly developed agrifood and related sector labour forces that are significantly larger than the Great Britain average (as % of total). Outstanding localised workforce strengths include meat production & processing, fruit & vegetable processing, seafood processing and machinery and equipment manufacturing.³
Agrifood Education And Skills In Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire’s educational institutions are focussed on meeting the specialised skills requirements of the area’s agrifood businesses.
Higher Education Agrifood Specialisations
At the higher education level, the University of Lincoln delivers courses and qualifications in specialisations including agricultural science, food science and technology, and logistics. The university’s unique combination of agrifood, advanced engineering and digital tech capabilities is reflected in courses integrating Industry 4.0 and agrifood sector technology themes, including agri-robotics.
Higher Education Agrifood Specialisations
Lincolnshire’s further and higher education colleges work in partnerships with agrifood businesses to deliver courses, qualifications and apprenticeships tailored to their needs, from Level 1 through to post-graduate studies. Food and related subjects including agriculture, horticulture, engineering and logistics.
Leading The UK in Agrifood Skills
Lincolnshire is leading the UK in developing the skills needed to transform the agrifood sector, through the application of new technologies and increased productivity. Multi-million pound investments have recently been made in new centres that combine state-of-the-art facilities, technology-focused education, and industry-led research and innovation.
For agrifood businesses investing in Lincolnshire, the area’s established, skilled agrifood sector workforce and specialised education and skills providers enable recruitment, fast project delivery and improved productivity.
Sources:
(1) ceh.ac.uk, 2021
(2) DEFRA (3) ONS BRES 2022.
Workforce numbers exclude agency and seasonal workers.