The future of skills development in the region was the hot topic during a visit by the Minister of State for Skills to the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology (GBSIoT), a collaboration between seven educational institutions that includes University College Birmingham. 

Rt Hon Baroness Jacqui Smith visited the GBSIoT hub to meet and glean insight from key members of the collaboration, including Rosa Wells, University College Birmingham's Dean for the School of Engineering, Digital and Sustainable Construction and former aerospace engineer. 

The visit highlighted how collaboration between education providers, businesses and policymakers is vital for strengthening the regional workforce. From developing recruitment pipelines for SMEs to supporting diversity and inclusion in technical education, GBSIoT is leading the way in skills training.

During the visit, the Minister toured GBSIoT's state-of-the-art Learning Factory, engaged with students and faculty members and learned about the many progression routes available within the network, made up of University College Birmingham, Solihull College and University Centre, South and City College, Birmingham City University, BMet, Aston University and the University of Birmingham. 

There was also an insightful roundtable discussion on how Institute of Technologies (IoT) nationwide could work collaboratively to address skills shortages and prepare learners for high-skilled careers. Crucially, the Minister’s engagement reinforced the importance of investing in regional education and employer-led training programmes to drive economic growth.