Students from Wigan & Leigh College have become the first learners to step inside the new Greater Manchester Institute of Technology (GMIoT) building, currently under construction at the University of Salford’s Peel Park Campus.
Bringing together a mixed cohort of construction and built environment apprentices and T Level students, the visit provided a behind-the-scenes look at the £14.3 million state-of-the-art learning centre, which is due to open in early 2026.
The visit also coincides with the Greater Manchester Festival of Technical Education held throughout June and July. Ran by the GMCA, the festival boasts a series of virtual and in-person events celebrating student achievements in technical education, as well as the education providers and employers offering these opportunities.
Led by Tilbury Douglas, the building is a key part of the University’s Campus Connectivity Plan and will serve as a flagship hub for higher technical education in Greater Manchester.
The tour gave students an opportunity to see the scale and complexity of the project up close, and to hear directly from construction professionals about the real-world considerations shaping the build, from design adaptations to sustainability features.
The visit was the first time Wigan & Leigh College had brought together apprentices and T Level learners for a joint enrichment opportunity of this kind — and it proved an ideal showcase of how design, engineering and collaboration come together on major projects.
Martin Gilmore, tutor for Civil Engineering at Wigan & Leigh College, said: “This was an excellent and insightful visit into current practices. Hearing about the construction team’s input into design changes really illustrated the importance of co-operation between designers and contractors. It’s valuable for students to see how dynamic and responsive this industry can be.”
Claire Foreman, Director of Greater Manchester Institute of Technology, added: “We were proud to host such a curious, engaged group of students from Wigan & Leigh College. The future of construction and the built environment is in their hands, and enriching experiences like this help show them how they fit into that future, with access to real sites, real professionals, and real opportunities.”
Once complete, the low-carbon GMIoT building will include flexible digital labs, a prototyping workshop and cutting-edge ICT studios, all designed to support industry-informed education across construction, engineering, computing, media and health. It forms a core part of the University’s wider estate transformation, and supports a broader mission to create employer-led pathways into high-skill careers.
