As employers across the region ontinue to flag shortages in technical and digital skills, the region is investing in new pathways designed to move people into work faster with the opening of the new Greater Manchester Institute of Technology (GMIoT) building.
That strategy was underlined this week as Andy Burnham visited the newly opened GMIoT building at the University of Salford. The £14.3m centre will act as a shared hub for higher technical education, focusing on Level 4 and 5 qualifications shaped by employer demand rather than traditional academic routes.
Courses delivered from the building include esports, construction, digital, social media and computing, which are all sectors where businesses across the region have repeatedly highlighted recruitment and skills gaps.
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GMIoT is one of 21 Institutes of Technology nationally, created to offer an alternative to the standard university pathway by combining higher education, further education and employers in the design and delivery of courses.
The partnership behind the institute brings together the University of Salford, Wigan & Leigh College, Bury College, Tameside College, Trafford and Stockport College and Ada – the National College for Digital Skills, with all providers using the building as a shared base.
Employer involvement is central to the model. Strategic partners including the BBC, Laing O’Rourke, Siemens and GCHQ work alongside a wider network of businesses to provide placements, apprenticeships and live project experience.
Speaking at the opening, Andy Burnham framed the investment as part of a broader push to widen access to good jobs across the city region. “We are determined to give everyone in Greater Manchester a clear line of sight to good jobs across our city region. To do that, we need the physical infrastructure that will provide those high-quality technical education and training opportunities for young people and adults.
“The new Greater Manchester Institute of Technology Centre, right here at the University of Salford, will do just that – helping break down those barriers for everyone wanting to follow a path to good jobs in the growing sectors of our economy.”
Jo Purves, Pro Vice-Chancellor Partnerships and Global Engagement, said: “The Greater Manchester Institute of Technology sits at the heart of our approach to bringing together universities, further education colleges and employers to design training that directly responds to industry need — particularly in high-growth sectors such as construction, engineering and digital technologies.
“Through partnerships such as the Institute of Technology, and initiatives like the Build Salford Construction Pipeline and Workforce Strategy, we are aligning education and industry to develop the skills the region needs — creating clear, accessible pathways into high-quality jobs for residents across the city region. It’s wonderful to finally declare the GMIoT building open.”
According to GMIoT, more than 2,200 students have already started programmes ranging from one-year HNCs to degree apprenticeships. GMIoT director Claire Foreman said the new base would allow the partnership to scale that delivery and deepen employer engagement. “Manchester is currently one of the fastest growing hubs in Europe,” she said. “But we know there are skills gaps that urgently need addressing. At the GMIoT we specialise in building links with employers to devise courses that will fill those gaps. The new building will be a great base from which we can inspire a new generation of engineers, developers and media professionals.”
The two-storey building, near Peel Park, includes classrooms, lecture theatres and breakout spaces. Built by Tilbury Douglas and designed by jmarchitects, it forms part of the University’s wider Campus Connectivity Plan and the Crescent Salford masterplan delivered with Salford City Council and English Cities Fund.
