WorldSkills UK in partnership with NCFE, invite you to apply to undertake a group collaborative innovation project, involving a minimum of three further and higher technical education providers, to address one of the priority themes shared.
In partnership with:
WorldSkills UK collaborative innovation projects will enable active experimentation, and the trialling of innovative approaches in two key priority areas highlighted in the government’s – Invest 2035: New modern industrial strategy, designed to deliver the certainty and stability business needs to invest in high growth sectors, that will drive the UK’s growth mission. These areas focussing on people and place, throughout our UK cities, regions and nations are:
1. Recruiting, retaining, and developing technical teachers
2. Employer partnerships supporting dual professionalism
Despite extensive welcomed campaigns and initiatives to boost recruitment of technical teachers in our further and higher technical education sectors there remains many jobs unfilled and widespread shortages particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subject specialist areas. If we are to provide high quality learning opportunities for all age, all level, all sector learners, to increase skills, productivity, innovation, and contribute to sustainable economic development and growth, we need to work collaboratively to find solutions to our technical teacher recruitment and retention challenges. We need to provide genuine opportunities for effective employer partnership working to support dual professional updating, and co-curriculum design, planning, and delivery, to support the current and future needs of individuals and businesses, enabling communities throughout the UK to thrive.
Funding of £35,000 (inclusive of VAT) is available for each innovation project, subject to agreed terms and successful completion.
The innovation projects are short-term pieces of development work that should be designed to trial new approaches within the 2025-2026 academic year, with the aim of achieving sustainable positive impact. The projects should address either:
Projects will develop approaches, trial them, reflect on outcomes, refine them, and share learnings and findings.
Innovation projects whilst supporting systems level working should also contribute to partners strategic frameworks and quality improvement planning, to support a whole organisation approach to improving the quality of technical education and training, focussing on positive learning experiences, and outcomes for all learners and apprentices.
Innovation project applications must be made naming the project partners and ensuring the support of senior leaders from each partner organisation. Each partner organisation, to be eligible for funding must be a registered member of the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence.
Applications must be received by 23 May 2025. Applications should be submitted to centreofexcellence@worldskillsuk.org
Recording of the 9 April Information Sharing session. In this video, we dive into the details of our 2025 – 2026 Collaborative Innovation Project.
