STEM Workshops in Lincoln

Lincoln was one of the great engineering cities of Victorian Britain. Ruston, Proctor and Company, whose works began in 1840 as Proctor and Burton, and Clayton and Shuttleworth, founded in 1842, built steam engines and agricultural machinery that were exported worldwide. William Foster and Co., established in 1846, manufactured the world's first practical tank at its Wellington Foundry in Lincoln in 1915. The Mark I tank, designed by William Tritton and Major Walter Wilson, first saw combat at the Battle of the Somme in September 1916. Lincolnshire is also known as "Bomber County" for its large concentration of RAF airfields during the Second World War.

George Boole was born in Lincoln in 1815 and developed Boolean algebra, the mathematical system that underpins every digital computer, smartphone and microchip in the world. A commemorative window in Lincoln Cathedral honours his contribution to mathematics. Sir Isaac Newton, born at Woolsthorpe Manor near Grantham in Lincolnshire, formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation that defined physics for centuries. Sir Frank Whittle first conceived the idea of jet propulsion while based at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire, writing his groundbreaking thesis there in 1928.

Siemens Energy operates a major gas turbine manufacturing facility in Lincoln, carrying forward an engineering lineage that stretches back through English Electric and GEC to the original Ruston works. RAF Waddington, just south of Lincoln, is home to the RAF's intelligence, surveillance and remotely piloted aircraft operations. RAF Coningsby houses Typhoon fighter squadrons and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. RAF Cranwell remains the world's first military air academy and the RAF's officer training establishment. The University of Lincoln has invested heavily in STEM, with strong programmes in engineering, computer science, robotics and agricultural technology through the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology.

Siemens Energy offers engineering apprenticeships in Lincoln, continuing a tradition of industrial training that dates back to the Ruston era. The RAF provides extensive career pathways from its Lincolnshire bases, with roles in aircraft engineering, drone operations, cybersecurity and intelligence analysis accessible to young people across the county. The University of Lincoln offers degrees in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science and robotics, with its Engineering Hub built in partnership with Siemens. Agricultural technology is a growing career pathway in Lincolnshire, with the university's research in farm robotics, precision agriculture and food technology opening new opportunities.