Greater Lincolnshire's coastal economy set to be given a funding boost by Government

A project to support tourism businesses on the Lincolnshire coast and improve access for residents to jobs and training has secured £370,000 of Government funding.

The LEP successfully bid for the money for its Coastal Sustainability through Careers and Business Skills in Greater Lincolnshire scheme.

Last month the Local Growth Minister Jake Berry MP announced that the Lincolnshire project is one of 26 across England to receive grant funding from the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund.

The project aims to fill skills gaps in the coastal community, improve the quality of life of residents on the coast and create a high-quality year-round visitor economy which benefits from a local supply of skilled reliable staff.

It will support tourism businesses on the Lincolnshire coast to survive and thrive and will help residents – both employed and unemployed – to find jobs and develop their careers by raising aspirations and upskilling the workforce.

The programme will run from October 2019 until March 2021. It is hoped that it will create 100 new jobs, safeguard 120 existing jobs and support 370 new learners, 50 coastal businesses and five social enterprises.

“This is fantastic news for tourism businesses on the Lincolnshire coast and for local residents working in the sector or looking to begin their career in tourism,” said Nicola Radford,  Senior Commissioning Officer at Lincolnshire County Council, who will manage the project.

“The visitor economy on the Lincolnshire coast is highly seasonal, which means that jobs are often insecure and tourism businesses can find it hard to recruit staff locally who have the right skills.

“Coastal businesses have told us that the visitor economy sector needs to offer people a career, not just a summer job, so we will work with them to retain staff and offer annual contracts by extending the season, improving skills and raising aspirations.

“Through this targeted programme we will also bring together local training providers to address those skills shortages with employers and help people access employment and develop careers on the Lincolnshire coast.”

Among the features of the 18-month programme will be:

  • a Coastal Business Forum to develop a local skills offer
  • a Coastal Careers brand to promote the opportunities in the visitor economy
  • a Coastal Escalator Skills Portfolio so people can gain skills and qualifications to access employment
  • bite-sized training courses
  • better use of local labour market data to understand employment trends, barriers and opportunities
  • a Coastal Champions programme using inspirational role models