UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 08 DECEMBER 2022
Birmingham City University (BCU) Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Julian Beer joined Mayor Andy Street, education sector and industry leaders today (8 December) at the official opening of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology hub.
The new facility, a collaboration between further education providers, universities and employers in the region, is designed to create a ‘powerhouse’ for advanced manufacturing and engineering, alongside offering technical education and training in key STEM subjects and sectors.
After cutting the ribbon, Mayor Andy Street toured the new Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology (GBSIoT) hub, which is based in the city centre and houses the largest Cyber Physical Manufacturing rig – a scaled down ‘factory of the future’ – in Europe.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “We all know it is mission critical to improve the skills of the workforce in the West Midlands so they can move into the high-quality jobs of the future. It is the cornerstone of my 100k jobs plan, and the new GBSIoT will help achieve exactly that.
“As a hub for technical education in engineering and advanced manufacturing, it’ll help make this key economic sector for the West Midlands accessible to all young people. Not only that, but it has also some world-class facilities, such as the largest Cyber Physical Manufacturing Rig in Europe, for students to benefit from. The GBSIoT is a fantastic addition to Birmingham and the West Midlands, and I’m delighted it’s now formally open.”
GBSIoT is one of 12 Institutes of Technology (IoTs) currently established across England as unique collaborations between further education colleges, universities and employers to offer technical education and training at higher skills levels in key STEM sectors.
The consortium is led by Solihull College and University Centre, with Aston University, Birmingham City University, and South and City College Birmingham as members, and supported by BMET College, University College Birmingham, and the University of Birmingham as partners.