Empowering access to vocational education

Access to vocational learning in Coventry is limited not by supply, but by poor visibility and fragmented information. Adults often struggle to find clear, accessible details about available courses and how to access them, and Coventry City Council has identified inconsistent information across providers. This particularly affects those with low confidence or digital skills, leading to disengagement and missed opportunities. At the same time, employers report skills gaps and unfilled vacancies, and many individuals remain unprepared for work, pointing to a disconnect between provision and access.

This project will develop an AI-powered local skills, training and jobs platform for Coventry. It will automatically update information and provide a single, clear view of courses, including entry requirements, delivery modes and progression routes. Users will be able to search opportunities and receive matched results based on their needs. Advisor-facing tools will support employment coaches, educators and information workers, while the platform will also include job matching, learner progress tracking and data insights for employers.

Coventry City Council is responsible for local employability and skills services, giving the team direct access to expertise, data and stakeholders needed to design and test the platform effectively. The project is grounded in strong evidence of local need and aligns with wider ambitions to increase participation in learning and employment. If successful, it could become a replicable example of how technology can reduce complexity and improve outcomes for learners, advisors and employers.