12 May 2026

Key learnings from VocTech market activity: Q1 2026

Ufi Ventures and Tyton Partners explore the Q1 2026 trends shaping vocational learning and workforce development across the UK, Europe, and North America.

Building on themes from our recent annual report, this quarterly edition highlights how policy, investment and innovation are evolving, and what this may mean for those working across the future of work.

“There is a strong argument that companies may have to accept that some employees may be more ‘inefficient’ than AIs in the short term as they gain expertise, but that expertise will make them much more effective users of AI over time…”

Helen Gironi, Director of Ufi Ventures, and Nick Kind, Senior Advisor at Tyton Partners.

In our Q1 2026 report, we explore:

Ongoing uncertainty in the market and how it is driving investment in areas such as green transition, defence and reskilling.
The impact of AI, including its implications for jobs, business models and regulation.
Pressure on established software models as AI enables lower-cost, in-house alternatives.
Policy developments across the UK and beyond, particularly support for young people and expanding AI skills.
Changing investment patterns with continued interest in AI-enabled HR, healthcare and defence, alongside a focus on long-term value.
The growing role of major technology providers as they expand into education and workforce development.

Key-learnings-from-VocTech-market-activity-–-Q1-2026

Download the report (interactive .pdf)

How we compile the information for our quarterly and annual reports

Some have asked us about our methodology, so here is a short explanation. We’d be more than happy for you to get in touch if you’d like to know more.

The key element in our work is a watchlist: our own database of the companies, investors, NGOs, government departments and thought leaders who we believe shape the market. There are currently 585 entries on the spreadsheet! We also monitor key statistical bulletins including those from the UK Office for National Statistics and Eurostat. The watchlist is a “live” document – a constant work in progress.

Alongside the watchlist, we review news and opinion from key sources every day. We use AI to look for things we might have missed (and check its assertions carefully!). And we are regular attendees at private meetings, public conferences and networking events in and around our industry, which often feed into our assessment of the implications of the news, not just our reporting.

Our report is deliberately selective. We don’t report everything we notice, we aim to be concise, and we are keen to focus on key trends and their implications. All feedback is welcome: please get in touch.