Ufi’s response to the interim report: Young people and work

“The Milburn interim review is right to focus on the reality that the whole system – from education through to employment and beyond – is not doing enough to support young people. Addressing this challenge will require coordinated action across that system, with everyone who has a role to play contributing to improving participation in learning and work.

Much of the current conversation about technology is understandably focused on risks for young people and the challenge facing those entering the workforce. But there is also a significant opportunity for positive change when technologies are well designed, inclusive, and embedded within the wider system.

At Ufi VocTech Trust, we are seeing the growing potential of human-centred vocational technologies to support young people, particularly when they are adopted not in isolation, but as part of a more connected employability, skills and work system. The opportunity lies in how these technologies work together to remove barriers, open pathways, and better align what young people can do with the opportunities available to them.

Digital badges, for example, can support recognition of what young people can do – including through voluntary work and wider activity – helping to build confidence and provide credible evidence of capability. Modular, bite sized training, increasingly enhanced by generative AI, is enabling more personalised coaching and skills development, with the potential to scale and reach young people where they are. Platforms that simplify and connect provision can make the system more navigable; helping young people to find relevant training and work, while supporting employers to open the door more widely to emerging talent. This is not about any single intervention, but about how different approaches combine to strengthen the system as a whole.

Through our grant-making, venture investments and partnership work we see technology delivering real, practical opportunities for young people. Concerted engagement from policymakers, practitioners, training providers of different types, and employers could accelerate this impact and make a meaningful difference to the futures of young people across the UK. We look forward to contributing to the next phase of the discussion alongside many others who can collectively work together to see greater participation become a reality.”

Rebecca Garrod-Waters
CEO, Ufi VocTech Trust

Supported by Ufi grant funding, Blend is helping the UK hospitality sector upskill workers with short-form video. Training is personalised and can be completed “on-shift”, pathways to progression are clear, and businesses are supported to scale with consistent culture and working practices. Blend >>

iDEA supports people to develop their digital, enterprise and employability skills, for free. Courses are delivered as short, interactive modules, developed in consultation with industry experts. Digital badges are issued on completion, helping learners demonstrate what they know. The platform currently has more than 2.5million sign-ups with over 18.7million badges completed. iDEA >>

Ufi, in partnership with Aberdeen local authorities and key local partners are using VocTech to boost participation in learning across Aberdeen. The programme is focused on helping people increase their confidence, develop new skills, and gain exposure to local work opportunities. Aberdeen >>