| |
| Press
Release - Education for those who've missed out |
|
The
Birmingham Post, Thursday 24 Jan 2002 - Page 11
An
organisation dedicated to training African
Carribeans and Asians comes of age tomorrow with
the opening of its own building costing nearly £2million.
Jo Ind reports
"Black girls are four times more likely to be excluded
from school than white girls." unemployed black people
in the Handsworth and Hockley areas, has moved to new premises
at Ventura House in Hockley
Hill.
"Black youths are behind 70 per cent of mobile
phone thefts."
"Schools in Birmingham desperately need more black teachers
to improve standards among Afro-Caribbean boys."
All of these have been stories in the newspapers in the past
three weeks, but they are not news to Grace Macaulay, who heads
an organisation called BETA First in Hockley. |
|
BETA,
which stands for Birmingham Education and Training Academy,
was originally set to provide training for African Caribbeans
and Asians in Handsworth, Lozells, Soho and Hockley. The area
is racially very mixed. Approximately 43 per cent of the population
is Asian ad 27 per cent is African Caribbean. Unemployment among
black people in the area is 25 per cent, compared to nine per
cent across the city.
Grace understands the reason why unemployment in the area is
high is because the needs of African Caribbean and Asian people
are not being met through mainstream schools and colleges.
"Some can't understand what is going on at school because
of cultural or language differences," says Grace.
When they can't figure it out, they feel that they are thick
and when they think they are thick they are most vulnerable.
"That feeling very quickly becomes aggression. If someone
offers them something they say they don't need it."
For many people in the area, English is not their first language.
They therefore find it difficult to follow what is happening
at school and drop out.
Other youngsters have had family problems such as parents being
ill and staying at home to look after them without realising
that they could be getting help. Some girls become pregnant
and do not go to school so they can look after the baby.
"Some girls get pregnant because they don't want to go
to school," says Grace. "They don't believe they are
getting anything out of school. They are labelled as difficult
because they don't understand."
The result is that by the time some women reach their mid-20s,
they have got school-age children but no qualifications and
no confidence in their ability to get a job.
BETA First was set up in 1991, originally with donations from
volunteers, to help people out of that vicious circle of dependency.
Tomorrow it is celebrating the opening of its own building,
jointly funded by the Millennium Commission, the European Regional
Development Fund and Birmingham City Council.
It offers courses in English speaking, reading and writing,
music technology, business administration, information technology
engineering, catering and child care. It has approximately 500
students enrolled at any one time.
"The music technology is a carrot," said Grace. "Its
what the young, black men are interested in. They can write
their own music and mix it themselves.
"some want to specialise in music and really, really believe
that its what they want to do, so we are able to put them in
touch with other companies who can help.
"But we are able to offer different courses to others so
they can get qualifications that lead to jobs more easily."
A great advantage of learning at BETA First is that you can
go at you can go at your own pace. Grace says many of the people
who arrive have had the experience of falling behind in a class
so it is important not to repeat that but enable them to move
on to the next stage only once they are ready.
BETA First will also offer child care for 25 children up to
the age of five. It will be open until 6pm and students who
qualify will still be eligible to use it when they first start
work.
Enabling people to get jobs is a key part of BETA First's work.
There is an employment liaison officer who arranges placements,
teaches students to search for jobs, helps them write a CV and
a covering letter, gives them interview practice and so on.
There is also a mentor scheme aimed at giving people role models
and someone to emulate.
BETA First's building, Ventura House, is to be open by news
reader Moira Stuart today. But generally finding role models
for young Black people is quite difficult.
The mentor scheme teams up young people between the ages of
13 and 25 with Black or Asian people who have had the experience
of overcoming barriers in the community and who are willing
to share that experience and encourage younger people.
Among others, they have police officers, solicitors, doctors
and nurses acting as mentors.
Setting up your own business is also very much encouraged at
BETA First which is why it teaches business administration.
And it is working.
Vera Fenton, aged 45, came to BETA First in March 1998 with
no knowledge of computers.
She has just got her NVQ Level II in business administration
and has enrolled for office work at several agencies.
Habiba Sufi, aged 18, enrolled a year ago. She learnt how to
do filing, accounts, petty cash and other office administration.
Now she is Grace's personal assistant. "I never thought
I would be able to get a job as good as this," she said.
Ali Moula, aged 56, has just turned up to BETA First for his
first day. His first language is French and he would like to
be a French teacher but he needs to have a better use of English
first. Computer skills would also be useful to him.
"I'm unemployed but I hope I can get a good job through
training here," he said.
Cheryl White, aged 25, is studying business administration.
"Its much better than school," she said. Here you
can do what you want to do. At school, you are there because
you have to be. Here you are learning because you want to."
Follow
on stories....
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
