The first in this series, this podcast outlines Top 10 Tips and ideas for managing that precious commodity, time, as well as you can.

Emerging technologies are transforming the possibilities for delivering really engaging digital learning. With a focus on users, we have the hardware and software to make new experiences accessible at an increasingly low cost. At the same time, smart artificial intelligence can remove some of the routine tasks from managing the learning process, allowing teachers and trainers more time to use their expertise to support learners directly.

The new tech available in XR (augmented or virtual reality) gives learners the chance to immerse themselves in the learning task, developing muscle memory as well as gaining knowledge. It can be deployed where it is too risky, too expensive or simply too complicated to gain access to real workplaces to give learners an idea of what the experience is like in real life.


Ufi projects have tackled the challenge of implementing VR/AR solutions in a number of projects, in sectors as diverse as construction, manufacturing, first-responder training, empathy and soft skills development and river pilot training. Bodyswaps is developing a Virtual Reality (VR) learning platform and content library offered as a service to businesses that uses VR and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide soft skills training similar in performance to expert coaching and role-playing, but close to the cost and scalability of eLearning. Many sectors are going through significant transformation through automation and digital innovation, not least those which have traditionally been labour intensive such as retail or transport. In this new realm, companies increasingly depend on employees’ soft skills to add operational value. Therefore, rapidly developing the soft skills of the workforces is critical. Virtual and augmented reality has very high potential to enable access to soft skills training at scale. The Bodyswaps platform empowers learners to safely practice their skills and measure their progress through a library of VR role-play simulations. The company’s most recent innovation is a job interview simulator, focused on improving university students’ career chances. With Bodyswaps, organisations of all sizes can boost and scale their training programmes with affordable learning experiences far more effectively than with traditional online exercises or even facilitated role-playing. Ufi invested in Bodyswaps in September 2020 alongside Haatch Ventures and a group of private investors. This investment fits with our focus on investing to help people learn the essential skills needed for work, now and in the future – including interpersonal skills Other projects Ufi have funded in this space include Bridgewater and Taunton College’s ‘PRACTICE’, Contented Brothers ‘The Difficult Conversation Trainer’, First Step Trust’s project ‘Smart Pathways’, NIACRO’s ‘SITE IT’, BTLK’s ‘Tripping the Thames’, TalkOutVR’s COPS, LIVES Covid-response project – also supported by TalkOutVR. And in AR, National Composite Centre’s ‘LayupRite’.

In the emerging field of Artificial Intelligence, Ufi projects have addressed the challenges of student advice and induction, assessment and personalised learning.

Taking English and maths GCSE resits after a less-than successful experience in school is hard – both for the learner and the teacher trying to motivate and support them. FE Colleges were looking for a better way to help learners succeed. CENTURY is the tried and tested intelligent intervention tool that combines artificial intelligence with the latest research in learning science and neuroscience. It creates constantly adapting, personalised pathways for every student and powerful intervention data for teachers.

Over the past year, CENTURY has been piloting the use of their AI platform to demonstrate its potential to support learning in FE. Their focus is on the impact of AI technology in English and Maths as part of an independent or blended learning strategy for learners who are...

Future of Assessment: what innovations can we expect to see?

Hosted by Gavin O’Meara and Dean Blewitt (Learning Innovation Manager, NCFE), we invited Peter Twining (University of Newcastle – Australia) to discuss what assessment innovation means in practice and what the future holds, as we find new ways of working that meets the changing needs of learners and educators across the globe today. NCFE is focused on exploring the future of assessment to ensure that learners have access to the world-class products and services that help them to fulfil their potential, not just in terms of academic attainment or employment outcomes, but also their wellbeing, mental health and happiness.

So, what are the key ingredients that are required to create a system that is truly transformational? To support with this, NCFE recently launched £1 million worth of funding to support centres, employers, awarding organisations and other stakeholders in piloting new and innovative approaches to assessment. Phase one of this Innovation Fund is now complete and this show shines a spotlight on some of the fantastic new and interesting ideas that came out of this, and how we will pilot these new approaches to test their validity. From virtual reality to digital badges, what innovations can we expect to see as learning expands far beyond the classroom?

By the *Black Further Education Leadership Group (BFELG): #AntiRacismInAction: Leadership and the Leader’s Voice with Larissa Kennedy, National President, NUS UK; Nazir Afzal OBE Chair, Hopwood Hall College; Robin Landman OBE, Co-founder and BFELG Director; The Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi MP, Secretary of State for Education.
The 9th and final episode of Season 1 BFELG Livestreams #AntiRacismInAction - Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain aired today, November 29. The first episode aired on Monday 4 October and has been followed by a fantastic feast of 30 minute weekly broadcasts on seven consecutive Mondays. Each Episode had a different focus, showcasing Anti-racism in action and exploring how diverse groups in the education sector and beyond can get involved.

With each Livestream introduced by a public figure and influencer sharing what #AntiRacismInAction means to them, the Season has taken us on a rich journey across the UK. Guests have included influencers, provocateurs and a diverse range of stakeholders from the world of education and the communities it serves. There were quite stunning examples of ‘thought leadership into action’, collaborative leadership and place-based leadership creating opportunities to tackle, with determination, institutional, regional and national challenges in the area of racism.
Today’s Episode focused on Leadership and the Leader’s Voice, a fantastic opportunity to bring together four highly influential and powerful voices in the persons of Larissa Kennedy, Nazir Afzal OBE, Robin Landman OBE, and the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Nadhim` Zahawi, MP. The Episode was co-produced by BFELG and FE News, co-anchored by Gavin O’Meara (CEO and Head of Digital, FE News), and Stella Mbubaegbu CBE, Co-founder and BFELG Director.

Hosted by Gavin O’Meara and Dean Blewitt (Learning Innovation Manager, NCFE), we invited Peter Twining (University of Newcastle – Australia) to discuss what assessment innovation means in practice and what the future holds, as we find new ways of working that meets the changing needs of learners and educators across the globe today. NCFE is focused on exploring the future of assessment to ensure that learners have access to the world-class products and services that help them to fulfil their potential, not just in terms of academic attainment or employment outcomes, but also their wellbeing, mental health and happiness. other stakeholders in piloting new and innovative approaches to assessment. Phase one of this Innovation Fund is now complete and this show shines a spotlight on some of the fantastic new and interesting ideas that came out of this, and how we will pilot these new approaches to test their validity. From virtual reality to digital badges, what innovations can we expect to see as learning expands far beyond the classroom?

One of the underlying questions in Ufi’s work on the VocTech Challenge work over 2021 has been “how can digital technology help ensure equity of opportunity to develop skills for work?”. This episode reflected on how this question has been addressed during the wide diversity of sessions during #Week of VocTech. The episode also includes the announcement the organisations being offered funding as part of the Ufi’s VocTech Challenge; £1.5m to help level up learning for those most impacted by the digital divide.
Co-anchor Louise Rowland was joined for the Livestream by Ufi Trustee Jeff Greenidge, Director For Diversity at The Education and Training Foundation & The Association of Colleges, and Ufi team members Josh Smith and Mahreen Ferdous, to look back on the events of the week.
Louise Rowland announces more than £1.5m in grant funding for 14 projects that use tech to help adults impacted by the digital divide, so they can gain the confidence to get the skills they need for work.
The #WeekofVocTech is a free programme of online events exploring the role of digital technology in vocational training and to celebrate its impact on learners, employers, training providers and society as a whole.
This highly interactive week united trainers, learning providers, developers, investors, funders and policymakers over five days of networking, interactive sessions and celebration of ‘what works’ in financing, developing, and deploying VocTech.

In this week’s Future of Assessment series, Gavin O’Meara is joined by NCFE’s Barbara Archer (T Levels Partnership Manager) in discussion with Janet King (NCFE Sector Manager for Education and Childcare) and Kim Smith from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The show focuses on the challenges and opportunities that come with the work placement element of a learning programme, with a particular spotlight on T Levels and Early Years. We are all aware of the disruption caused by the global pandemic across the whole sector– and students’ ability to access industry placements and gain that vital hands-on experience was one of the most impacted areas. Gavin and Barbara explore how links have been facilitated between education and industry in relation to T Levels, what collaboration we have seen, and how to increase employer understanding of these flagship new qualifications. The show also looks at the challenges that early years providers and employers have faced and how they have overcome these barriers to ensure learners could progress in their chosen field.

#AntiRacismInAction: Scotland with Dr Nighet Riaz, EDI Policy Officer, University of Glasgow, Jim Metcalfe, Chief Executive, College Development Network and Audrey Cumberford MBE FRSE, Principal and CEO, Edinburgh College.

Episode 8 of 9 BFELG Livestreams #AntiRacismInAction – Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain, aired today, November 22.

Focusing on Scotland, today’s episode is the fifth within the Livestream series to explore place-based, system leadership of #AntiRacismInAction. It is also the penultimate episode in this Livestream series.

4% of Scotland’s population is classified as non-white ethnic minority – Asian, African, Caribbean or Black, Mixed or Other. The Race Equality Framework for Scotland states that the Scottish Government is determined to show leadership in not only advancing race equality, tackling racism and addressing the barriers that prevent people from minority ethnic communities from realising their potential but also to use its influence to ensure that this is embraced across Scotland.


The Introduction to the Framework document paints the all too familiar picture that ‘ 50 years on from the introduction of the Race Relations Action 1965 (the first legislation to address racial inequality in the UK) significant inequalities remain in many areas of life for minority ethnic people. Too many minority ethnic individuals and groups face poorer outcomes than average; including lower employment rates, a higher risk of poverty, under-representation in public life and with racism being a lived and daily experience for too many people. While Scotland has a strong legal framework and innovative public services, too often these services are not treating everyone with the dignity and respect they deserve. No one in Scotland should experience disadvantage due to structural racism or discrimination on the grounds of nationality, ethnicity or national origin. All must be able to achieve equal outcomes in every area of social, economic, civic and political life.’

The document sets out how the Government aims to progress this ambition over a 15 year period from 2016 to 2030 through six themed Visions. The first of these is the overarching ambition for race equality in Scotland to be achieved by 2030. The other themes cover outcomes related to community cohesion and safety; participation and representation, education and lifelong learning, employability, employment and income and health and home.

As anchor institutions in their communities, Scotland’s colleges and universities have the potential to make a strong contribution to the country’s overarching ambition for race equality by 2030.

In her welcome and introduction to the Episode, Dr Nighet Riaz, EDI Policy Officer, University of Glasgow outlined what #AntiRacismInAction means to her: building relationships, making space for our voices to be listened to by the decision makers and our institutions; recognising that there is a collective drive from activists and educators to pursue change, not only by highlighting the gap but also showing feasible attainable strategies and actions that are needed for that change to happen.

And today’s Episode, brought together two highly influential leaders in the Scottish educational landscape who are personally and professionally committed to #AntiRacismInAction – Jim Metcalfe and Audrey Cumberford OBE FRSE.

Jim Metcalfe is the Chief Executive of the College Development Network (CDN), the national agency in Scotland that supports skills and sector development across colleges and vocational learning. CDN’s mission is to support the college and skills system in enhancing success for students, their wider communities, and regional economies by supporting the learning workforce to develop excellent digital skills; promoting leadership development; developing collaborative research and enquiry programmes; and...

#AntiRacismInAction: Liverpool City Region with Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor, Liverpool City Region, Elaine Bowker, Principal and Group CEO, the City of Liverpool College, and Lorna Rogers, Assistant Director, Mayoral Programmes, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Episode 7 of 9 BFELG Livestreams #AntiRacismInAction – Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain, aired today, November 15.

Focusing on the Liverpool City Region, today’s episode is the fourth within the Livestream series to explore place-based, system leadership of #AntiRacismInAction.

The Liverpool City Region is a combined authority region of England, centred on Liverpool, incorporating the local authority district boroughs of Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral, and located in the historic counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. The region’s economic development is also supported by the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), a private sector-led board comprising political and business leaders from around the city region.

The region is home to 1.6 million residents including the oldest African heritage community in the UK, the oldest Chinese community in all of Europe, large Indian, Latin American, Malaysian, African-Caribbean, Ghanaian, Somali and Yemeni populations each with at least several thousand people.

In his welcome and introduction to the Episode, Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said that the region had been known for centuries for its welcoming nature which had created a diverse and celebrated community. He spoke candidly about the rightness of the city’s apology for its history in the slave trade and also spoke optimistically about the future: what is needed now, is to build a fairer, more socially just society for all.

Today’s Episode, brought together as our Guests, two inspirational women, Lorna Rogers and Elaine Bowker, to share their insights into the practicalities, challenges and opportunities of system and place-based leadership of Anti-racism. Of particular interest is their collaborative work.

Born and raised in Liverpool, Lorna Rogers is currently Assistant Director of Mayoral Programmes at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. She has over 20 years public sector programme and project management experience of working locally and nationally. She returned to the region to work for the Combined Authority (CA) as she wanted to make a contribution and difference in her home region.

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in the US, Lorna asked to take a lead role in her organisation to take action on Race Equality and is working collaboratively with other institutions to make a change. The CA has developed and published a Race Equality Programme with a vision that will ‘tackle systemic injustice and inequality and drive forward positive change for our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic employees and residents – influencing the partners we work with to do the same.’ The Programme has three areas of work: CA as Employer, CA as Commissioner and CA as Facilitator.

Discussing the Race Equality Programme, Lorna gave examples of the 2025 achievement targets set out in the Declaration of Intent, the support received for the Programme and the hoped for achievements through the race equality hub.

Elaine Bowker is Principal and Group Chief Executive of the City of Liverpool College which as an anchor institution within the city, has a key role in supporting the City Region to ‘build back better’. The College is in the top 10 per cent of colleges in the UK. It is a leader in providing high quality skills and education, delivering opportunities for growth to people and businesses in the Liverpool City Region and beyond. The College has a student population of more than 10,000, with more than a third of 16-18-year olds in the city studying with the College. The College has...

Ufi’s VocTech Challenge White Paper identified one of the key potential barriers for vocational learners as access to learning across wide geographical areas, and in particular how practical skills can be developed when workshop or classroom demonstrations are not possible.

The needs of rural communities can be very different from the challenges in urban areas, and different approaches are requird to get learning to where it is needed and recognise the different mindset of learners outside of urban centres.

A number of past Ufi projects have addressed these issues in a variety of ways, using entirely remote and hybrid approaches to serve their target communities of learners.

From our VocTech Now portfolio of projects, PHX Training supported learners across a very wide geography in Cumbria, LIVEs created amazing new content for first responders across Lincolnshire and CTC (Care Training Consortium) delivering across rural Dumfries and Galloway made sure that their long experience of delivering in this sector could continue during lockdown using new technologies.

From our Seed projects, Ambios (another Ufi project on the Learning Technology Awards shortlist) have developed an innovative nature conservation vocational skills training package, delivered remotely into a learner’s own environment.

Through the loan of wildlife survey equipment, supported by access to enriched online training materials and live training broadcasts, learners can take the time needed to gain competence in specialist professional skills. Those might involve safely catching and monitoring specific species or tracking wildlife in its natural habitat.

Myserscough College was one of our early pioneers in 2016. Their project involved the production of interactive instructional videos for the land-based sector, predominantly geared at level two golf greenkeeping learners, accessed on smartphones and tablets. The College went on to incorporate what they had learned into a wider programme of blended learning content development.

The two guests on this episode have current Ufi projects supporting this sector.

As a College in a rural area, Boston have first-hand experience that working at different levels across remote rural communities is challenging for employers, learners and trainers in terms of time and cost. The team used the Discovery Phase to explore with learners and employers the challenges they have in accessing classroom-based learning in order to understand better what VocTech solutions might help to solve those problems. In response, they are developing a learning programme that not only tackles contextualized learning for the Agri-Tech sector but delivers personalised learning pathways that adapt to the individual’s needs as they progress through the course. The VocTech supported learning programme will encourage users to progress onto Level 3 Leadership and Management qualifications, enabling learners to develop in their careers and local SMEs to be supported in their growth. All of this in an accessible fashion to meet the challenges of time and distance. The College as a whole has benefitted from involvement in the project, taking time to look in detail at their experience with blended learning and how that can be expanded, with the potential for the roll-out of more VocTech solutions into other areas of their work.

Understanding of technical content is far more effective when presented and taught within a real-life or simulated vocational environment or setting. Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College in our Seed 19 cohort plans to create, develop, deploy, test and share new Mixed Reality (MR) learning resources that overlay virtual objects onto the real-world environment, in a unique approach to the delivery of animal care & welfare education and training within a rural context. This enables the learner to both see and experience...