Greater Manchester Institute of Technology bid approved

A multimillion-pound bid for a new technical education institute in Greater Manchester has been approved by the government. The Greater Manchester Institute of Technology is set to bring together colleges and employers in the city region and will specialise in construction, engineering, health and digital skills. The partners – University of Salford, Ada, the National College for Digital Skills, Bury College, Tameside College, Wigan & Leigh College, GCHQ, Laing O’Rourke, Siemens and Talk Talk – have been working together on the proposal for 18 months. The GMIoT will offer courses including new Higher Technical Qualifications and apprenticeships, designed to fast track learners into jobs in growth sectors for Greater Manchester.Institutes of Technology (IoTs) are the government’s programme designed to spearhead the delivery of higher technical education in STEM subjects. The first wave of 12 IoTs are being established across the country. The Salford-led Greater Manchester bid was submitted as part of wave two of the funding competition. The government has made £120m available to proposals from areas of the country not covered by an IoT. The GMIoT will operate on a hub and spoke model, with capital funding being invested in a new centre at the University of Salford and hubs across Greater Manchester, with investment committed to the upgrade of existing facilities across partner colleges. It is envisaged that new students will be enrolling at the GMIoT from September 2023. The GMIoT will target both school and college leavers who might be considering a career in STEM and older learners looking to upskill or retrain.