IN4 Group and GMCA roll out AI curriculum to Greater Manchester schools

Thousands of young people in Greater Manchester will be taught a new “AI super curriculum” through a tie-up between the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and IN4 Group.

After launching in Oldham, MEGA Hubs are now being introduced in Rochdale, Salford, Tameside and Wigan. More than 3,000 secondary pupils will be able to use them for technology learning and to join an AI Academy.

GMCA's director of education, work and skills, Nicola McLeod, said: “Every young person in Greater Manchester deserves the chance to build the skills, confidence and experience they need to succeed. Digital skills are no longer optional. They’re needed in almost every role in every sector, whether that’s health, construction or creative industries.”

She said the hubs support the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc) mission “to give young people a clear line of sight to good jobs, while helping employers build the skilled workforce Greater Manchester needs.”

Salford-based IN4 Group developed the MEGA Hubs, which are run with partners such as BT, KPMG UK, QinetiQ, Northrop Grumman, CGI, Roke, PA Consulting and Energus.

IN4 Group's director of CyberFirst and MEGA Hubs, Lauren Monks, said the expansion was possible “thanks to the backing of GMCA and local authorities” and would support the MBacc's Digital and Technology Gateway.

“This generation is growing up as AI-natives, so it’s our responsibility to turn that familiarity into meaningful skills and progression routes connected to the immediate AI and data capability demand of our local economy,” she said.

“Oldham is already proving what’s possible through our model, and as impact grows across Rochdale, Salford, Tameside and Wigan, we want every borough and state secondary school across Greater Manchester to benefit from this opportunity.”