Building momentum towards VocTech adoption

Across the UK, vocational technology is already changing lives. From helping adults access learning that fits around their work and homelives, to supporting people to build new skills and progress in their careers, the potential is clear. The tools exist. The evidence is growing. And yet, too often, that potential remains locked in pockets of good practice rather than embedded across the skills system.

That’s about to change.

Next Thursday I’ll be unveiling VocTech Together – a major new initiative designed to help vocational technology move from promising innovation to confident, widespread adoption. Backed by a £2.85 million in new funding and support, VocTech Together represents Ufi’s most ambitious commitment yet to ensuring vocational technology works for learners, organisations, communities and employers at scale.

The formal announcement will be made at the Ufi VocTech Showcase in London on 19 March, where leaders from across skills, education, technology and policy will come together to explore what’s next for vocational learning. But before the curtain lifts, I wanted to offer a glimpse of what’s coming – and why it matters.

At Ufi we know that technology has the power to open-up opportunity, and for years we have supported organisations to test, develop and deploy vocational technology that makes a difference. That work has shown what’s possible when technology is designed well and rooted in real learner and workforce needs. But it has also surfaced a persistent challenge: adoption. Knowing VocTech works is not enough. The challenge is ensuring vocational technology is embedded, sustained and scaled.

VocTech Together is about tackling that challenge head-on.

Rather than focusing on new tools and approaches, the VocTech Together programme is rooted in a simple but powerful idea: that meaningful change happens when organisations have the confidence, capability and support to adopt technology well. It’s about learning from what already works, strengthening practice, and creating the conditions for vocational technology to thrive across places, sectors and communities.

The scale of the ambition reflects the urgency of the moment. As the world of work continues to evolve, adults need access to learning that is flexible, relevant and effective. Employers need better ways to support progression and development. And the skills system needs approaches that deliver lasting impact, not just short-term pilots. VocTech Together is designed to respond to that bigger picture – working collaboratively with organisations at different stages of their journey, and building momentum around adoption rather than isolated innovation.

Details of the programme will be announced on the evening of the 19th, but what’s clear already is that this is not business as usual. VocTech Together brings together funding, partnerships and evidence-building under a shared mission: to move vocational technology to the mainstream, in ways that genuinely benefit learners and the wider economy.

If you’re excited about the future of skills and learning and curious about how technology can be adopted more effectively, the Ufi VocTech Showcase is the place to be.

I hope to see you there.