Tilbury Douglas picked for £14.3m Salford technical skills hub

The 20,000 sq ft building will provide a home for the Greater Manchester Institute of Technology, which teaches students practical skills and fosters links between academia and industry.

Located at the University of Salford’s Peel Park campus and designed by JM Architects, the project is expected to complete next year.

Contractor Tilbury Douglas expects to start on site this autumn.

Martin Horne, regional director for the North West at Tilbury Douglas, said: “We are excited to help bring the Greater Manchester Institute of Technology’s vision to life.

“This state-of-the-art facility will serve as a hub for technical education and innovation, with a focus on sustainability and real-world skills development. We’re proud to be part of a project that will make a lasting impact on the future workforce of Greater Manchester.”

Led by the University of Salford, with Wigan & Leigh College as the lead further education partner, the GMIoT brings together a number of colleges and employers in the city region.

The new building, which will provide digital labs, prototyping workshops, and ICT studios will be a base for teaching the University’s GMIoT students and for students and staff from partner institutions to visit for collaborative work together and with industry.

Jo Purves, pro vice-chancellor for academic development at the University of Salford, said: “Collaboration is in our DNA as a university and over the past few years we’ve been working alongside our further education and industry partners to envision a new home for our technical skills courses.

“The GMIoT is a response to industry’s constantly evolving demand for skills, with courses on offer intended to fast track learners into jobs in growth sectors for the region. I’m proud to have the hub of this ambitious project based in Salford.”