BMet College Celebrates Digital Skills Success with Over 34,000 iDEA Badges Earned

We are delighted to celebrate the remarkable achievements of BMet College students, who have earned more than 34,000 iDEA badges in just one year through their innovative Digital Learning Academy. Launched during Birmingham Tech Week 2023, the academy has become a shining example of how educational institutions can effectively integrate digital skills into their curriculum.

iDEA achievements at BMet continue to grow and today there are:

• 5,529 students actively building their digital skills with iDEA
• 400 students who have achieved their Bronze Award
• 12 ambitious students who have progressed to achieve their Silver Award
• 34,005 badges earned by BMet students

"BMet's achievements with the Digital Learning Academy are truly inspiring," says our CEO Polly Morgan. "To see over 34,000 badges earned and 400 Bronze Awards achieved in just one year shows the incredible dedication of both the college and its students. What's particularly exciting is that students are now progressing to Silver Awards, demonstrating their growing digital confidence and ambition. BMet's support helped us launch Microsoft Single Sign-On integration, a feature we're now rolling out to benefit thousands of learners at educational institutions across the country. We're proud to be part of BMet's journey to foster the next generation of digital talent."

The implementation of Single Sign-On has been transformative, as Pooja Pun, Learning Technologies Manager at BMet, explains: "Over the past year, we've witnessed remarkable strides forward. The introduction of Single Sign-On has revolutionised our sign-up process, facilitating the easy enrolment of 2,000 new students in just the last 6 weeks alone. Through the insightful analytics offered by iDEA, we now adeptly monitor and support each department's progress, ensuring tailored assistance where it's most impactful. iDEA stands out as an exceptional platform, empowering students across disciplines to develop vital digital skills. Praised by our employer board, these skills are proving indispensable in today's competitive job market."

The Safe Online badge has proven particularly popular among BMet students, reflecting the growing importance of cybersecurity awareness in today's digital world. Through their engagement with iDEA, BMet students are gaining crucial skills across:

• digital citizenship and online safety
• workplace digital tools and techniques
• digital creativity and making
• entrepreneurship and innovation

BMet's Vice Principal for External Development, Suzie Branch-Haddow, highlights the broader impact: "This academy is having such a positive impact on our students, helping them to enhance their broader digital skills and help with work ready skills. As well as gaining key digital skills, students will also continue to secure essential skills like team working, critical thinking, adaptability, and communication, that are important to future employers."

As Birmingham Tech Week 2024 unfolds, BMet's success story showcases how educational institutions can harness iDEA's digital skills platform to prepare students for future opportunities in our rapidly evolving digital world.