SUMMER 2025 DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 17
EDUCATION & LEARNING
these opportunities, helping to
mitigate workload and ensure
equitable access across delivery
sites.
Creating Cross-Provider
Cohesion
We knew from the outset that
IoT students needed to feel
part of something beyond their
individual course or college. So
we developed a shared Welcome
Campaign, delivered at induction
across all providers. Students
receive branded materials and
a launch presentation that
introduces them to the wider
GMIoT network and what it
means to be an IoT student.
This branding is not cosmetic,
it’s part of a broader e昀昀ort to
develop student identity and
community. We organise joint
events, such as our cross-partner
student conference, which began
in year one with 60 students
and grew signi昀椀cantly in year
two. Students bene昀椀t from peer
networking, cross-sector insights,
and collaborative learning that
would not be possible within
isolated cohorts.
We’ve also made available a
year-round calendar of enrichment
opportunities, including visits to
university research facilities and
employer sites. Students from
colleges such as Wigan & Leigh
and Tameside now regularly
access experiences such as
Salford University’s Energy House,
Siemens’ digitally twinned smart
factory, or the North of England
Robotics Innovation Centre.
Equipping Students for a
Changing Workforce
Recognising the evolving
demands of modern employers,
and the wider skillset HE students
need as a result, we introduced
enhancement themes. Our current
theme is Sustainability, which
includes:
• Carbon Literacy training, led
by trained sta昀昀 within partner
institutions
• A student competition and
themed conference sessions
• A curated set of web-based
resources and tools
• LinkedIn workshops to
help students present their
achievements and sustainability
credentials
These themes go beyond
subject knowledge. They
develop critical thinking, digital
skills, and workplace readiness,
traits increasingly demanded by
employers.
Evaluating Impact, Evolving
Practice
At the end of year one, we
undertook a structured review
of the student experience.
With support from the Gatsby
Foundation and consultant Gill
Scott, we collaborated with other
IoTs to explore what makes a
student journey truly distinctive.
Workshops with delivery sta昀昀,
support teams and leadership
proved valuable not only for
research but also for building
shared understanding and buyin. From this, we developed a
draft Statement of Intent and
accompanying quality framework
to underpin and guide our work.
Rather than adding
administrative burden, the
framework provides a structured
lens for re昀氀ective improvement.
We’ve resisted a rigid entitlement
approach, recognising the
diversity of study modes, but
rather, the framework acts as a
catalyst for conversations around
quality and ambition.
A Model for Regional
Growth and Inclusion
Institutes of Technology were
never intended to replicate
traditional HE or FE institutions.
Instead, they were created to
昀椀ll a critical space: employerled, technically focused higher
education that serves regional
economies and opens new doors
for students who may not have
considered a university pathway.
In Greater Manchester, where
our economy is shifting towards
clean growth, digital innovation,
and advanced manufacturing,
the need for a skilled technical
workforce is urgent. GMIoT aims
to meet that demand not only by
training individuals but by working
in deep partnership with industry
to co-create the skills solutions of
tomorrow.
Through a shared ethos,
consistent delivery standards, and
a relentless focus on employability,
we believe we are well on the way
to delivering on this mission.
Looking Ahead
We don’t claim to have all the
answers. The GMIoT model is still
evolving, and must continue to
do so if it is to meet the changing
needs of students, employers,
and the wider regional economy.
But we are con昀椀dent that our
model - collaborative, distributed,
employer-aligned, and studentfocused - o昀昀ers something
genuinely distinctive.
By building a cross-sector
partnership with shared values
and high expectations, we’re not
just educating students. We’re
laying the groundwork for a
stronger, more inclusive, and more
prosperous Greater Manchester,
powered by the next generation
of technically skilled, work-ready
professionals.
GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR JOURNAL SUMMER 2025
17
