University Centre Wigan & Leigh College

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠? 📚🍎

We offer 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 and 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 options for our Certificate in Education and PGCE courses in Further Education and Skills Sector, awarded by University of Lancashire.

Our supportive tutors will help you to gain the knowledge, theory and placement hours to feel confident in the classroom.

⭐ Our recent 𝐎𝐟𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 Inspection of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 ‘𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠’, showcasing our high standards and commitment to training and supporting the next generation of teachers.

Speak to tutors and find out more at an 𝐀𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 & 𝐄𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭.

📍𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰: https://www.wigan-leigh.ac.uk/life-at-college/events/

We caught up with HND Digital Technologies student Connor Smalley to learn more about his presentation at our 2026 HE Research Symposium. 📖

Connor, alongside his classmates, created an Internet of Things (IoT)-controlled greenhouse for their research project. Drawing on the knowledge and skills they had developed throughout the academic year, they designed systems to automate a range of tasks within the greenhouse. 🪴

One feature of the greenhouse was a temperature-monitoring system that automatically activates a fan when the temperature exceeds a certain threshold.

🗯 Connor said: “AI and IOT (Internet of Things) give a broad idea of the computing industry, pitching skills, business intelligence. It’s made me prepared to get a job and what to expect.

We’ve had guest speakers from Sony and Microsoft. You can see how the industry changes and there’s more to it than sitting at a desk.”

Connor plans to progress to the BSc (Hons) Computing Top-up Award, awarded by University of Lancashire, and aspires to work as a software engineer or manager.

📍 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲: https://www.wigan-leigh.ac.uk/subject/computer-science-and-digital-skills/ -university

𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

Are you a caring person who’s passionate about inspiring the next generation?
Join one of our 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐄𝐝 or 𝐏𝐆𝐂𝐄 courses in Further Education and Skills Sector, awarded by .

✅ Full-time and part-time study options
✅ Guaranteed teaching placement at college
✅ Mentorship from experienced tutors

PGCE alumni, Jack Knott is now working as a full-time college A Level Chemistry tutor.

“The support was great and I’m so happy being a teacher.”

📣 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲: https://www.wigan-leigh.ac.uk/subject/teacher-education/ -university

Finlay McCarthy, Mechanical Design Degree Apprentice at Tenet Consultants Ltd, presented his research project at our annual HE Research Symposium in May. ⭐

💬 “My topic was nuclear disarmament, whether it benefits the UK socially, environmentally and economically. I looked at it from a moral standpoint referencing Hiroshima and Nagasaki in my literature review. I found that it was money being spent on something we don’t use and the money could be better spent funding into public services.”

He also commented: “I couldn’t sing Nick’s (tutor) praises more. It’s manageable to study and work and I would recommend the course.”

In the future, Finlay hopes to progress within his company and become a senior engineer.

📣 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲: https://www.wigan-leigh.ac.uk/subject/mechanical-engineering/ -university

𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡, 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞.

Hayleigh was working as a cover supervisor in a high school when she decided to return to study, saying: “The wage wasn’t good because I didn’t have the teaching qualifications.”

She joined our Certificate in Education (Further Education and Skills Sector) – Awarded by University of Lancashire.

“The teaching team are really good at what they do, they were supportive the whole time.

I had a job within 6 months as an ESOL teacher. There were 9 people in my group and every single one of them has employment now.”

Speak to our expert tutors and find out more at an 𝐀𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 & 𝐄𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭.

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰: https://www.wigan-leigh.ac.uk/life-at-college/events/

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 🤝

Aimie Bamber was working as a carer and doing youth work at her church when someone suggested she'd make a great counsellor.

She joined the HND Counselling and Applied Psychology course, completing her placement hours at Daylight Counselling in Leigh.

💬 "Every teacher has been great and approachable. I’m dyslexic and they’ve printed things on coloured paper and changed the colour of screens to help me.”

Since coming to the end of her course, Aimee will continue to work for Daylight as an official counsellor and has been given full-time hours for children and youth services in Manchester Diocese.

Find out more about this course and others at one of our 𝐀𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 & 𝐄𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 next week.

📢 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰: https://www.wigan-leigh.ac.uk/life-at-college/events/

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲? 🫂
Build a meaningful career supporting others through counselling therapies.

Our industry expert tutors will support you to develop the core counselling skills and self-awareness needed to work confidently in this sector. 🙌

📣Find out more and speak directly to staff at one of our 𝐀𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 & 𝐄𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 this 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞.

- Tuesday 23 June, 4.30pm – 7.00pm, Wigan Adult Learning Centre
- Wednesday 24 June, 4.30pm – 7.00pm, Leigh Adult Learning Centre

📍 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰: https://www.wigan-leigh.ac.uk/life-at-college/events/

Today, we hosted our annual Higher Education Research Symposium at the Centre for Advanced Technical Studies. 🎓 📚

We were proud to welcome two keynote speakers: Engineering Manager Benjamin Fozard and our very own Business Lecturer, Dr Anthony M Dixon. Ben spoke about his career journey from engineering into leadership, sharing his experience across a range of roles, including consultancy and solutions architecture. Dr Anthony also discussed his career path, along with his research into nascent family firms and organisational identity construction.

It was fantastic to see the wide variety of research topics our students prepared and presented across every course offered at the University Centre

Congratulations to our Greater Manchester Institute of Technology Presentation of the Year winner, Emily Williams, whose project explored the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel for cancer treatment. 🏆

Congratulations to the University Centre Best Overall Contribution Award winners, Steffie Ramsdale, Jessica Parker, Estera Zuberniute and Daryl Martin, who presented their findings on Adverse Childhood Experiences and Play Pedagogy. 👏

A great effort also from our runners-up, Connor Smalley, Matthew Cherrington, Tyler Kay and Lewis Murray, for their Internet of Things (IoT)-controlled greenhouse project. 💡