The Centre for Advanced Technical Studies had its grand opening on Thursday 16th June, celebrating two years of The Education Skills Partnership.
The partnership includes Wigan & Leigh College, Edge Hill University, Wigan Council and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL).
The aim of the partnership is to improve local opportunities to develop people’s skills and employment in the future, with a focus on boosting education, health and economic prospects for Wigan.
The Centre officially opened its doors to students in September to expand and focus on higher technical skills to benefit people in the Wigan borough and beyond.
Based in Wigan town centre, opposite the Wigan & Leigh College’s Parsons Walk building, the new Centre offers dedicated space and facilities to develop future health professionals, civil engineers and digital and cyber specialists.
Executive Leader of Wigan Council, David Molyneux, MBE officially opened the building to unveil the ceremonial plaque. This was the third time he had opened the building in all its previous guises but this one he revealed was the ‘best and most beneficial to the borough’.
Guests were invited for a tour of the facility after key note speeches from Vice-Chancellor of Edge Hill University John Cater, Chief Executive of WWL, Silas Nicholls, Leader of Wigan Council Cllr David Molyneux, MBE and College Principal, Anna Dawe.
They enjoyed a collaborative showcase with demonstrations from T Level Health students, hardware and networking demonstrations from Digital T Level students as well as examples of industry placement opportunities from the College’s T level Civil Engineering and Teaching and Education learners.
College Principal, Anna Dawe said: “The facility is a testament to the strong partnership we have with Edge Hill University, Wigan Council and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust.
“It was inspiring to have our students and partners showcasing the transformative impact that this skills collaboration can have.”
Vice-Chancellor of Edge Hill University, John Cater said:
“Everyone attending the opening saw first-hand how important the Centre is. Students spoke about the opportunities presented by the facility and how they had developed crucial skills for the future. It’s been a privilege to work alongside the other partners and to see the impact the Centre has had already.”
Silas Nichols WWL CEO said:
“We were absolutely delighted to be part of the opening of such an impressive and important building in our partnership and I commend the excellent progress we’ve made in our Education Skills Partnership over the past two years. This is just one of many shining examples of how we all work alongside each other for the benefit of our community and the people of the Wigan Borough.”