Training for Early Years Education and Childcare in Europe

Partners

Bfi Steiermark
Austria

Corporate profile

The Berufsförderungsinstitut Steiermark [Occupational Promotion Institute for Styria] (bfi)is an educational institution of the Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund [Austrian Federation of Trade Unions] (ÖGB) and the Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Steiermark [Styrian Chamber for Workers and Clerical Staff] (AK). The bfi has been active as a non-profit association in the realm of education and further vocational training since 1960.

Business Management

Alfred Strassegger, Managing Director
Maga. Margit Lang, Deputy Managing Director

The structure of the bfi Styria

The bfi operates educational centres in all Styrian districts. In addition, the bfi is a shareholder or majority owner in 13 companies whose sphere of action spans from personnel certification to co-operative relinquishment of labour forces.

Employees

There are 390 salaried employees and 1,395 freelance trainers employed by the bfi. The bfi Styria has been distinguished with the "Fair Work" seal of quality since 2001. Among other things, the mark of distinction refers to the innovative education and further vocational training model for bfi employees. Two gender representatives see to it that the equal treatment of men and women is observed in all areas of the business enterprise.

Main emphases of the bfi Styria educational programme

Construction/wood
Vocational orientation
Office
EDP/CAD
Electrical engineering
Health and wellness
Management
Metallurgy
Educational courses
Languages
Transport
Personality training

Seminars

About 28,000 participants (in 230,000 teaching units)rely on the bfi Styria seminar programme every year. With a modern learning environment and access to new technologies we provide our clients with the basis for effective learning, and thus improve their career opportunities. They are supported along the path of "life-accompanying learning" by our highly qualified bfi trainer team. The bfi Styria offers in-house training programmes especially for business enterprises, whereby higher qualifications of employees are developed and implemented on a customised and need-oriented basis. In addition, the bfi Styria is integrated into the labour market policy measures of the Styrian Labour Market Service (AMS), and is active on an advisory basis throughout Europe in many projects as project sponsor or partner. Moreover, bfi training efforts - such as EDP courses for the blind and training in the field of wellness and well-being - have already garnered considerable international recognition.

Service for business enterprises

Under the working title "Business Service" the bfi offers educational policy solutions for business enterprises. Based on short-term and long-term corporate objectives - under the inclusion of man, machine and working environment - education and further vocational training programmes are developed for your business enterprise as the need arises.

Quality Management System

The bfi Styria has already had a certified quality management system since 27 June 1996. The bfi Styria has also been certified in accordance with ÖNORM [Austrian standard]EN ISO 9001:2000 since 15 July 2002. The overall system guarantees maximum customer satisfaction through quality-assured products and business services.

Customer satisfaction measuring instruments:

Participant evaluation
Feedback rounds
Client surveys
Trainer feedback
Complaint management

Complaint management in the bfi Styria

In our work we focus on the people and their expectations, and serve as partners for our clients as far as their problems and complaints are concerned. Our complaint management offers the possibility to systematically and continuously improve the quality of our services. The information which we receive from our clients within the scope of complaint management are very valuable to us, because it represents an essential element in the analysis and prevention of problems.

Contact:

Phone: 0800 230 230
Email: info@bfi-stmk.at