Our Strategy: 2025 - 2030

Increase the adoption and development of VocTech to open up access and get adults learning at scale

• Support the adoption and development of VocTech that enables better outcomes and access to skills for all.
• Build capacity and confidence to use VocTech, embedding behaviours that can support the uptake of pedagogy to use digital tools in teaching and learning.

Change investment behaviour to increase investment in VocTech

• Increase funding for new VocTech solutions and approaches that target positive social impact and are designed for learners furthest from opportunity.
• Increase the recognition of positive social impact through direct investment in skills and education for adults.
• Increase direct investment in VocTech from mainstream investors.

Change the policy and regulatory landscape to one that supports the use of VocTech in ways that positively impact learners furthest from opportunity

• Showcase and support VocTech solutions that demonstrate the art of the practically possible.
• Build partnerships and collaborations to foster and nurture systems change.

To make the most of our resources we will focus on where we can make the biggest impact. This means we’ll support ideas and organisations with the potential for longterm scale and change; those that can deliver reach and impact; and also, those that can demonstrate the potential of VocTech more widely. We will manage our core investment in a mission-aligned way and be thoughtful about every pound we use. Using a flexible range of tools and methods we will accelerate innovation and amplify impact now, while building the market and driving systemic change for a better future.

1. Support innovators
   As part of our commitment to open up access and get adults learning we look to enable organisations of all kinds (employers, non-profits, colleges, training providers and others) to develop and use VocTech, at scale. We will use our flexible approach to funding and support to help ensure the organisations we work with have the best chance of success, making connections to other resources and expertise that might be needed to get the job done. We will encourage excellent design practice, ensuring a clear focus on real user needs.
   
2. Inspire action
   We will draw on the insights from the work we have funded and the organisations we have supported, bringing people together around specific opportunities, challenges or issues to share knowledge, drive action and catalyse change.
   
3. Grow impact and evidence
   The skills landscape is characterised by change: changing employer needs, technological change and wider societal change that impacts how adults want to learn. We will remain future-focused, commissioning and publishing research and market insights. We will always be open to experimenting and exploring new ideas, new tech and new approaches, within Ufi and with the organisations we support. We will ensure the evidence and insights we gain are widely available to support further adoption and help to strengthen the foundations of the UK’s vocational and skills for work ecosystem.
   
4. Support innovation
   We will support the sector, including training providers and vocational education training (VET) practitioners, tech developers, employers, charities and the wider community, to design, develop and deploy technology for positive impact.
   
5. Demonstrate the art of the practically possible
   Our focus remains on solving real problems in vocational learning, with practical solutions. We believe that demonstration through doing is the best way to deliver impact. Through a range of practices, tools and methods we will support organisations to deliver impactful projects that can demonstrate the positive potential of VocTech. We will use this evidence to support and advocate for wider change.
   
6. Drive impact through investment
   We recognise the role the private sector has to play - as employers, investors and developers, founders and training providers – and we are deliberate about our decisions to fund all types of organisations. We are tackling complex, systemic challenges and will work with all parts of the skills ecosystem to catalyse change. We will continue to invest directly in innovative and exciting businesses that have the potential to make significant positive social impact through profit with purpose. We will also work closely with partners and other investors to strengthen and grow the VocTech investment space, ensuring that future learners, developers, practitioners and founders continue to benefit.

• Grant funding
  Through flexible funding models we will support innovators to develop new VocTech solutions and support the sector to use VocTech. By deploying our resources in different ways we can support a wider range of innovators and organisations in tackling the challenge of opening up access and opportunity, and create more pathways to achieving longterm positive impact.
  Explore our Ufi grant funding
  
• Venture investment
  We will invest in early-stage VocTech ventures aligned with our mission to demonstrate the value of VocTech from both a commercial and social impact perspective.
  Explore direct investment from Ufi Ventures
  
• Strategic partnerships
  We believe we can have a greater impact by working with organisations that share our vision to create long-term and lasting change. We will learn from others to keep ahead of the changing landscape, ensuring our efforts remain focused on where Ufi can have the greatest impact.
  Explore our Strategic Partnerships
  
• Advocacy and celebration
  We will continue to champion and celebrate innovation and innovators in VocTech. We will develop the evidence base to support the adoption of VocTech, and share learning with both future grantees, policy makers, providers and the wider community to ensure everyone benefits.
  
• VocTech community
  By continuing to build our active community of stakeholders we will spark discussion, debate and catalyse action amongst educators, developers, designers, employers, investors and policy makers.

How we work is just as important as the work we do

We want our interventions to have a lasting impact on those we influence, maturing into long-term relationships and scalable partnerships that can create even more significant change for those most in need of support.

Ufi is a relatively small organisation with a disproportionately large effect on the sector. To be effective and drive positive change we have to do things well ourselves and in partnership with others, creating the conditions for others to succeed.

We do this by...