Greater Birmingham And Solihull Institute Of Technology Hub Opens Officially
The University of Birmingham is a partner in the GBSIoT, supporting the ambition to address regional skills gaps in engineering and advanced manufacturing.
The new hub houses Europe’s largest Cyber Physical Manufacturing rig – a scaled down factory of the future. The launch event included a demonstration of the rig to representatives from the Department for Education and industry. It will be used not only as part of the curriculum but also for outreach activity with schools.
Mayor Andy Street 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.”
Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor (Strategic Projects), Professor Jon Rowe, is on the GSBIoT Board of Directors, he said: “I’m delighted that the University is able to lend our expertise to the GBSIoT and support the efforts to meet the skills needs in the region. It is a great opportunity for further and higher education providers to collaborate in providing high quality education and helping students find fulfilling jobs.”
“The Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology Hub is a fantastic addition to Birmingham and the West Midlands, and I’m delighted it’s now formally open.”
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands
The GBSIoT is one of 12 Institutes of Technology 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 GBSIoT is designed to create a ‘powerhouse’ for advanced manufacturing and engineering and is a collaboration between further education providers, universities, and employers for the region.
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.