New projects awarded £200,000 to develop employability skills

When it comes to preparing learners for the world of work, employability skills are just as critical as technical knowledge. These skills are often the hardest to assess – and the easiest to overlook – despite workplace readiness being critical for helping learners transition into employment.

Thanks to support from NCFE’s Assessment Innovation Fund, and in partnership with Ufi, Bodyswaps and Sixty Learn Ltd have each received over £100,000 to explore the impact of immersive technology on employability skills including communication, critical thinking and resilience.

Through its Story of Learner Growth project, Bodyswaps will look at how immersive technology and AI can support inclusive, low-stress, and meaningful assessment of essential skills in vocational education – focusing on learners in construction and motor vehicle apprenticeships, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Sixty Learn Ltd will deploy its pioneering experiential learning platform to enable students to practice and demonstrate their essential workplace skills. Through immersive, AI-powered simulations, learners are placed in realistic workplace scenarios – such as giving a manager an update, planning workloads, or handling colleague conversations. Learners will receive personalised, actionable feedback, while institutions benefit from being able to provide scalable, tailored support and gain deeper insight into learner progress. The project will generate a whitepaper evidencing the impact of this innovative, learner-centric approach on confidence, fairness, and the perceived value of AI-driven assessment and feedback.

Chris Mallet, Co-founder and CEO of Bodyswaps, said:

“Essential or soft skills are consistently recognised as a key factor in learners’ success – both in education and employment. Yet in many colleges and vocational settings, these skills remain under-assessed and undervalued. Our project aims to change that by empowering educators with the tools to make essential skills development visible, measurable, and meaningfully recognised.”

Ellie Simpson, co-founder of Sixty Learn Ltd, said:

“Workplace simulations allow students to practice and understand their skill level in real time – addressing a critical gap. Our scalable, inclusive, and behaviour-based assessment model supports institutions under pressure to improve student outcomes, while giving learners meaningful opportunities to practice, develop, and gain insight into their strengths and areas for growth.”

Both projects have been made possible by NCFE’s Assessment Innovation Fund, supported by Ufi. Launched in 2021 to help provide evidence-based, alternative assessment solutions with real-life impact, it has already invested over £1 million across a range of innovative projects.

Jane Holmes, Associate Director of Grants at Ufi said:

“As the world of work continues to change at pace, employability skills are essential in helping individuals and organisations adapt and thrive. We look forward to seeing how these two new innovations can help learners develop, and provide recognition of these crucial skills.”

To discover more about both projects and the Assessment Innovation Fund, or to see how you can get involved, visit www.ncfe.org.uk.