Belfast Metropolitan College

The college traces its origins back to the beginning of the twentieth century when the Belfast Municipal Technical Institute was established in 1906. It was in a grand building in College Square East, constructed between 1902 and 1906.{{cite web |title=About us - History |url=https://www.belfastmet.ac.uk/about-us/history-of-the-college/ |website=Belfast Metropolitan College |access-date=12 July 2020}}

College Square East survived the Belfast blitz with students often having to hide in its air-raid shelters during the Second World War.{{cite web|url=https://www.belfastmet.ac.uk/theblackmantech/galBuilding.html|title=The Central Hall|publisher=Belfast Metropolitan College|access-date=17 July 2022}}

College Square East was known colloquially as the 'Black Man Tech'. The official name of the college was the Municipal Technical College however it was also known as 'The Tech' and the 'Black Man Tech'. It is often incorrectly perceived that the title ‘Black Man’ comes from the statue of Dr Henry Cooke which currently stands outside the building. However, interestingly, the name 'Black Man' dates back further than Dr Cooke (leader of Belfast's Evangelical Presbyterians). The original statue on the site and the first public statue in Belfast, was erected in 1855 to commemorate Fredrick Richard, Earl of Belfast (his courtesy title as heir to the 3rd Marquis of Donegall). The statue was dark bronze and some say that it was later painted black due to weathering making it look rather mottled. Soon it was known as ‘THE BLACK MAN’ and became one of Belfast's best loved rendezvous spots and noted landmarks in the City. Twenty years later the statue was removed and replaced by that of Dr Henry Cooke. It was taken to the Town Hall Victoria Street and in 1906 removed to the City Hall where it still stands inside the building. It is very common to acquire an affectionate name and in Belfast the 'Black Man' would have been perceived as a place, not a person, where people met and not after the ‘green statue’ of Dr Cooke.{{cite web |last1=Murphy |first1=Liam |title=Only one Black Man put on a pedestal |url=https://belfastmedia.com/only-one-black-man-put-on-a-pedestal |website=belfastmedia |publisher=Belfast Media |access-date=5 January 2021}}

Other specialist colleges were subsequently established in the city including Stanhope Street, Rupert Stanley, and the College of Business Studies in Brunswick Street. In the early 1990s, these colleges amalgamated as the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education which in turn merged with Castlereagh College to form the current Belfast Metropolitan College in 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/belfast-metropolitan-college/|title=Belfast Metropolitan College|publisher=The Complete University Guide|access-date=15 January 2017}}

In September 2011, Belfast Met opened a new £211{{Cite news |last=Rutherford |first=Adrian |date=2014-03-25 |title=Belfast Met Titanic Quarter campus: The £211m college that should have cost £44m |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/belfast-met-titanic-quarter-campus-the-211m-college-that-should-have-cost-44m/30121876.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240623125300/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/belfast-met-titanic-quarter-campus-the-211m-college-that-should-have-cost-44m/30121876.html |archive-date=2024-06-23 |access-date=2024-06-23 |work=Belfast Telegraph}} million campus in Titanic Quarter. It was officially opened by Princess Anne on 10 November 2011.{{cite news |last1=Dougan |first1=Patrice |title=Princess lavishes praise on Northern Ireland's fundraising efforts |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/belfast-telegraph/20111110/281754151116368 |access-date=5 January 2021 |publisher=Belfast Telegraph |date=11 November 2011}} Michael D Higgins visited several months later.{{cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/president-higgins-makes-first-visit-to-belfast-28722081.html |title=President Higgins makes first visit to Belfast|date=3 March 2012|newspaper=Belfast Telegraph| access-date=17 July 2022}}

Belfast Met has three main campuses. They are Millfield Campus, Castlereagh Campus, and Titanic Quarter Campus.

Belfast Met also has several smaller centres around the city such as e3 at Springvale Campus, opened in 2012.{{cite news |title=Landmark £18 million 'e3' Belfast Metropolitan College building opened |url=https://www.internationalfundforireland.com/media-centre/landmark-p18-million-e3-belfast-metropolitan-college-building-opened |access-date=5 January 2021 |date=20 September 2012}}

The city centre campuses at Brunswick Street and College Square East were sold when the Titanic Quarter campus opened in 2011. College Square East was made into student accommodation in 2016 at a cost of £16 million, but it retains its exterior appearance due to being a listed building.{{cite web |title=STUDENT ACCOMMODATION COLLEGE SQUARE EAST, BELFAST |url=http://harveygroup.co.uk/portfolio-view/student-accommodation-college-square-east-belfast/ |website=harveygroup |access-date=5 January 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Houston |first1=Lesley |title=Belfast's College Square East building to become student accommodation in £16m facelift |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/news/belfasts-college-square-east-building-to-become-student-accommodation-in-16m-facelift-30385444.html |access-date=5 January 2021 |publisher=Belfast Telegraph |date=25 June 2014}}

Belfast Met offers courses from GCSE level to GNVQ and even undergraduate courses.{{cite web |title=Full-time - Higher education |url=https://www.belfastmet.ac.uk/full-time/higher-education/ |website=Belfast Metropolitan College |access-date=13 July 2020}}

Millfield:

Castlereagh Campus:

Titanic Quarter Campus:

e3 Campus:

{{efn|Courses may have different names and several courses may exist within each subject area.}}

{{efn|Course list correct as of January 2021{{cite web |title=Courses |url=https://www.belfastmet.ac.uk/courses/?keyword= |website=Belfast Met |access-date=5 January 2021}}}}

Louise Warde Hunter, the former Deputy Secretary of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, became Principal and CEO of Belfast Met in April 2020.{{cite news |title=Belfast Met wins three BTEC Awards |url=https://www.fenews.co.uk/press-releases/50182-belfast-met-wins-three-btec-awards |access-date=5 January 2021 |publisher=FE News |date=July 2020}} She replaced Marie-Thérèse McGivern who had been the Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Met since 2009.{{cite web |title=Marie-Thérèse McGivern FORMER PRINCIPAL AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BELFAST METROPOLITAN COLLEGE |url=https://www.collegecommission.co.uk/marietherese-mcgivern |website=The College of the Future |publisher=The College Commission |access-date=5 January 2021}}

In April 2020, Belfast Met received the Queen's Anniversary Prize – a UK-wide award recognising excellence, innovation and public benefit in work carried out by UK colleges and universities.{{cite news |title=Prestigious UK honour for Belfast Met |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/ulsterbusiness/news/prestigious-uk-honour-for-belfast-met-39126715.html |access-date=5 January 2021 |publisher=Belfast Telegraph}}

• Danny Blanchflower, footballer
• William Blease, Baron Blease
• Aidan Browne, television presenter and actor
• Lynda Bryans, television presenter
• Eamonn Holmes, TV personality
• John Irvine, newsreader
• Brian Keenan, writer
• Colin Morgan, actor
• Kerri Quinn, actress and singer
• Joseph Tomelty, actor and playwright
• Aidan Walsh, Olympic Boxer – Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.belfastmet.ac.uk/ Belfast Metropolitan College] – official website

{{Further and Higher Education Colleges in Northern Ireland}}

{{Education in Northern Ireland}}

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Category:Further education colleges in Northern Ireland

Category:Higher education colleges in Northern Ireland

Category:Education in Belfast

Category:Educational institutions established in 1991

Category:1991 establishments in Northern Ireland

Category:Further education colleges in the Collab Group