Our History
Women's Technology And Education Centre (WTEC) was established in 1983. The aim was to attract low paid or unemployed women and equip them with the skills to progress into employment in technical professions; an area in which women are traditionally under-represented.

By 1991 the organisation had expanded considerably and it was therefore necessary to find new accommodation. Over £4 million was raised in order to refurbish Blackburne House.

Today
Blackburne House is one of the leading women's education providers with a range of award winning social enterprises. The organisation has been officially recognised as a centre of excellence having been awarded Grade 1 for education provision by the LSC; this grade was only achieved by the top 8% of external Adult Education Institutions in Britain . In addition, the centre is ranked in the top 10% of colleges and educational providers in the UK. WTEC continues to offer a variety of courses and the training remit now encompasses not only women embarking upon education for the first time but also professional women looking to broaden their skills and enhance their career prospects.

The Blackburne House Group
In 2002 Blackburne House amended the constitution of the organisation, which is now known as the Blackburne House Group. The new structure provides the opportunity to add to the existing business base. Blackburne House Group have been formally recognised as one of the country's leading Social Enterprises after being one in five winners of the DTI sponsored Enterprising Solution Awards.

Blackburne House Group video
To watch the Blackburne House video and find more about the Blackburne House Group and its exciting businesses click the thumbnail below.