Ufi funds new partnership programme with AoC to create ed-tech strategy for the future that leaves no learner behind

Ufi VocTech Trust are supporting AoC to ensure colleges are supported to collectively overcome challenges to delivering online provision at scale. Over the course of the next few months, AoC will carry out research into colleges’ current capacity to enable high quality distance learning. Findings from the research will be used to create a post-Covid ed-tech strategy for the college sector. With series of articles providing provocations, solutions and recommendations to government on the biggest challenges faced when implementing and delivering digital teaching, learning and assessment. With colleges closed for most face-to-face delivery and almost 100% of provision now being delivered online, learners will require online content and services that are sustainable, collective and accessible. To ensure no one is disadvantaged or left behind due to the crisis, this important work will contribute to supporting businesses to transform and upskilling and reskilling those out of work or furloughed. Much work has already been undertaken to identify issues in several areas including, equality of access to online learning programmes, investment and safeguarding. This programme will build on this and go further. Working in collaboration with the sector, sector and professional bodies and vendors, webinars and thought pieces from sector leaders will provide a strategic view of the current landscape, showcase colleges digital transformation during the crisis and inform the development of a future strategy. David Corke, AoC’s Director of Education and Skills Policy said: “We will be entirely collaborative and draw on our trusted sector and agency relationships, working with vendors and leading EdTech colleges to help ensure that everyone can access learning and training provision during these uncertain and unprecedented times. Colleges have had to move at a rapid pace to deliver digital teaching, learning and assessment in a completely new way. Now is the time to think long-term and we thank Ufi for providing us with the opportunity to work on a much-needed strategy for the future. For businesses to get the skilled people they need, allow those in training already to stay motivated and begin to think about re-structuring, innovation and new technology for post-16 education.” Rebecca Garrod-Waters, Chief Executive of Ufi VochTech Trust said: “Ufi is very pleased to be able to support AoC and its delivery of this invaluable piece of work. The findings of this research and the insight it will provide will be crucial in developing sector understanding of colleges’ current capacity to enable high quality distance learning. As a charity with a mission to support the development and implementation of technology that can support vocational learning and training, up-to-date knowledge about the challenges facing the sector is central to our delivering on this mission. Ufi’s Partnership programme, through which AoC is being supported, is one of a number specific strategies that Ufi VocTech Trust has implemented in response to the Covid 19 pandemic and its impact on the vocational learning and training sector. We are proud that through the projects that will be delivered, Ufi will be supporting learning opportunities for millions of people.”