History

Birmingham Institute of Education Training and Technology (BIETTEC) is a non-profit organisation established in 1997. Starting in the Sparkhill area BIETTEC engaged many groups through innovative programmes. This included Women Only classes in popular courses such as ESOL and sewing, Chalo Kam Karey project, Men only classes and working with a variety of community projects. The Institute has created projects in Educating from Entry 1 to Level 7 and recognises the importance of achievement, while giving opportunities to gain qualifications, confidence, new skills and employment.

History:

We have worked with Job Centre Plus, Learning and Skills Council (LSC), Joseph Chamberlain College, South Birmingham College and Birmingham City Council as well as a variety of local community projects and providers. We have always aimed high and achieved high, which is evident from our performance and progression of our clients.

In 1997 BIETTEC delivered the New Deal and Job Centre Plus programme, we engaged over 10,000 inactive individuals and achieved over 3,000 job outcomes.

In 1998 BIETTEC worked with Colleges to provide ESOL Classes. During this period we started ESOL classes for women only and men only, showing huge successes from this, BIETTEC had participants from areas of Birmingham that had never been in a class before. The learners went on to achieve City and Guilds ESOL level 1, 2 and 3 qualifications. Key locations for ESOL provision were created on Ladypool Road to encourage the local community to participate, which had become hugely successful.

In 2000 BIETTEC started the E2E programme and were the only organisation to offer full accreditation to our learners enabling them to receive both a taster and a qualification. The courses on offer were Painting and Decorating, Hair, Beauty, Business Admin, Joinery, Craft Skills Skills For Life, Brick Laying and Information Technology. Incorporated into our E2E programme was the Citizenship context, which students found interesting and useful. Most of the E2E learners moved on to College or employment.

In 2003 a co-funded by ERDF project began to create a purpose built building providing education and training facilities, this building has become BIETTEC House. The new build equipped spacious classrooms, interview rooms, Information Communication Technology suite, a conference room and catering facilities. The project had been created to serve the local community with professional equipped facilities and continues to do so. As well as serving our clients, a variety of organisations have used our facilities for community activities including Health Awareness Events by NHS.

In 2007-2008 a Citywide Outreach project for the areas most in need was offered. This offered economically inactive individuals the opportunity to learn job skills, techniques and receive customised plans to achieve their goals and becoming closer to sustainable employment. Participants that had English needs were given training to achieve ESOL Level 1 qualifications. In total 997 participants had engaged, of which most had never known anything about jobs or any training and had never been reached out to before. BIETTEC engaged the highest level of participants for this programme.

From 2008 a new programme began called Entry to Learning (E2L), this is a 13 week programme offering taster sessions to 16-19 year olds that are in the NEET category.

BIETTEC holds a variety of achievements and vast amounts of experience in understanding the local needs and delivering to both contractual and participant expectations. Through seeking out new and creative ways, participants are offered the support and training that they need so that they can continue their progression into employment or further education and training.

1997-2008 Achievements at a glance:

- Engaged over 13, 670 unemployed people in Education and Training, many had not been reached out to before

- 90% have been from ethnic minority communities

- 65% have been women returners

- 30% found employment (15% became self employed)

- 95% continued with learning

- Established connections and worked with over 100 community links and projects