Skilled and ready to work – Lancashire delivers on people

Lancashire’s greatest strength is its people. We’ve got a workforce that knows how to build, adapt and deliver – with deep roots in industry and an eye on the future.

With over 20,000 STEM graduates each year, 90,000+ learners in further education, and award-winning colleges and universities across the county, Lancashire is ready to power your business with the talent it needs to grow.

Workforce snapshot

728,000+ people in employment
Over 55,000 businesses supported by local talent
High retention rates and strong work ethic
Skills across engineering, digital, health, logistics, creative, and professional services

World-class higher education

Lancashire is home to a cluster of universities that drive innovation, business engagement, and economic growth. Together, they employ over 10,000 staff, serve 65,000+ students, and contribute nearly £900 million in turnover.

Together they support:

Graduate recruitment
Research partnerships
Spinouts and start-ups
Business innovation and testing facilities

Lancaster University

Top 15 UK and Top 150 global institution
Research-led, impact-driven, and deeply engaged with business and place
Specialist in cyber security, sustainability, policy, and innovation
£2bn+ economic contribution and home to projects like NW CyberCom and Cyber Focus

University of Central Lancashire

One of the UK’s largest universities with campuses in Preston and Burnley
Active partnerships with 7,000+ businesses and global institutions including NASA, UN, WHO
Research, training and workforce programmes for health, aerospace, digital and more
Strong industry links across Lancashire’s priority sectors

Edge Hill University

Skills-focused and research-active institution connecting Lancashire, Liverpool, and Greater Manchester
Graduates 3,500+ students annually
Major investment in STEM facilities and a new Life Sciences building
£175m+ UK-wide GVA uplift; £121m in West Lancashire alone

University of Cumbria (Lancaster campus)

Programmes in business, health, education and teacher training
Strong partnerships with BAE Systems, Sellafield, Morecambe Bay Trust and Rolls-Royce
A key contributor to the skills ecosystem in North Lancashire

Specialist R&D and industry collaboration

AMRC North West (Samlesbury Enterprise Zone)

Helps manufacturers adopt advanced tech, boost productivity and hit Net Zero goals
Links academia and industry across Lancashire and the wider UK
New Additive Manufacturing Centre opening in Darwen

Specialist training for growth sectors

We back key sectors with targeted talent programmes, examples include:

BAE Systems Academy – bespoke aerospace skills training
Lancashire Energy HQ – supporting clean energy, nuclear and hydrogen
Creative and Digital Bootcamps – supported by government and industry
Health and Care Academies – developing NHS-aligned careers and digital health skills

Recent R&D projects include:

NW CyberCom: Creating a commercialisation ecosystem for cyber security research
Cyber Focus (EPSRC): Research-led commercial partnerships for cyber security
Shared Prosperity Projects: AI, digital acceleration, and net zero support for SMEs in manufacturing and creative industries

Outstanding further education and technical training

Our award-winning FE colleges specialise in technical and vocational training across Lancashire’s key sectors and are all rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.

Headline stats:

90,000+ learners trained each year
10,000 apprentices supported annually
£300m turnover, supporting 6,000+ local jobs
£15 return per £1 of public investment
More than 10% of Lancashire’s HE students study at a college (national average: 4%)

Key assets include:

Myerscough College – a nationally significant land-based training institution
Lancashire & Cumbria Institute of Technology (launched 2024) – delivering world-class technical education through a regional partnership of colleges, universities and industry

Colleges collaborate with 10,000+ businesses to deliver responsive, employer-driven training that supports workforce growth, productivity, and emerging sector opportunities.

What this means for investors

Whether you’re looking to hire engineers, train a digital team, develop a new R&D partnership or grow a long-term workforce – Lancashire has the institutions, infrastructure and support to make it happen.

Skilled and ready to work