Bright future

OFFICIAL opening: (l-r) Jonathan Cowling, Georgia Sutton-Cross, Joseph Simpson, GM principal Chris Hill, Lord Kenneth Baker, Liam Dey, Adam Heywood and George Clegg.

OLDHAM’S new £9million college for young engineers celebrated its official opening yesterday.

The Greater Manchester Sustainable Engineering University Technical College on Middleton Road - better known as the GM - opened to students last September, catering for 14 to18-year-olds aiming to address the engineering skills gap.

University technical colleges are a new type of school set up to train young people for jobs in engineering.

Guests yesterday met students, took a tour of the building and learned about some of the projects being undertaken.

The college was officially opened by Lord Kenneth Baker, chairman of the Baker Dearing Trust - which is responsible for university technical colleges.

He said: “This is going to revolutionise education, not just in Oldham but the whole of Greater Manchester. What’s unique here is the combination of academic learning and technical learning — we’re preparing students for real working life.”

Chris Hill, chief executive and principal of the GM, said: “It is such an achievement to open the GM and a great opportunity for the students.”

Oldham College is the further-education partner of the GM, which is one phase of a £25million redevelopment of Oldham College..

The GM works closely with its university sponsor, the University of Bolton, to develop degrees for students who want to follow an academic route following their studies.

Thirty UTCs are now in operation across England, with a further 26 opening in the next two years — all of which are meeting the needs of the skills gap.