#196 – The Case for Vocational Technology – Part 2: Build Back Better

Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn

Welcome to the latest episode of our The Voctech Podcast: learning continued series, supported by the Ufi Voctech Trust and Ufi Ventures. You can follow the conversation using #voctechpodcast and #voctech. 

What’s in this episode?

In conversation are an insight and data specialist on the new economy, an investor in vocational learning technology, and a specialist in supporting executive leadership and teams development. In true podcast fashion, there are tea slurps, baby cries and computer dings, in amongst the gems about specific training to working online, more creative online working tools, and supporting employees wellbeing with all the change hitting us at present.

This episode is about building back better and takes its starting point from a World Economic Forum article on 5 ways to reset labour markets after coronavirus recovery, which you can find shared on our show notes. Plus, a few listener messages from WISE and Education Technology. 

People

Sophie Bailey is the Founder and Presenter of The Edtech Podcast | Twitter: @podcastedtech

Sophie is the founder of the iTunes new and noteworthy, The Edtech Podcast. The mission of The Edtech Podcast is to improve the dialogue between ‘ed’ and ‘tech’ for better innovation, through storytelling. The podcast is downloaded 2000+ times a week, from over 145 countries with the UK, US & Aus in the top 3. Sophie is a mentor and advisor within the edtech community. If she’s not interviewing a University Lecturer, School Leader, Ex-Angry Bird, NGO, or Investor about education innovation, she’s chasing her son around the park or binge-reading Homo Deus.  

Richard Male, Investor, Ufi Ventures | Twitter: @richardmale

Investment professional with 15+ years of experience in early stage digital technology commercialisation and investment. Richard works with investors to raise & deploy capital, source new ventures and manage & support their portfolio companies. He works with founders and executive teams from pre-revenue to series A helping them build out the team, source and secure early revenue opportunities and raise capital. Richard has a passion for technology, engineering and all things motorsport. 

Dr. Vesselina Stefanova Ratcheva, Insights Lead – New Metrics, Platform for the New Economy and Society, World Economic Forum | Twitter: @Vessisr

A senior data-driven researcher and analyst working to provide timely insights and practical recommendations to industry and policy leaders on frontier topics. Currently an Insights Lead in the New Economy and Society Platform of the World Economic Forum, Vesselina has over ten years of experience in research across academic and applied settings with a strong focus on skills, education, future of work and identity (gender, ethnic) with a cross-cutting focus on social justice. In the Forum she has led research efforts across the Global Gender Gap Reports, the Human Capital Reports, the Future of Jobs Reports, Reskilling Revolution Reports, Accelerating Gender Parity Toolkit, Skills as the Currency of the Labour Market Report and the Jobs of Tomorrow Report.

Gordon Bateman, Chief Executive Officer, CRSI | Twitter: @crsiltd

At CRSI, our goal is to help you to build the most exciting, forward-thinking business and we thrive on playing a key role in your long-term success.

We work exclusively with the most active investors and their portfolio businesses, providing a range of specialist services including executive search, management due-diligence, organisational design, skills gap analysis, recruitment, and HR strategy.

Since the business was founded, we have built an amazing team of dedicated, passionate high-calibre individuals, and invest heavily in continual development and training in order to ensure that we are all able to consistently provide the highest level of service to our clients.

The team is continually growing, and I am always very interested in meeting bright, driven, focused individuals at all levels who want to make a real difference to some of the most exciting businesses in the UK. 

Listener Contributors

 Quotes from this episode

References from this week’s episode

• WISE Event, Education Disrupted,
  Education Reimagined Part II
  23-25 June 2020  – more here
• Edtech Sofa Sessions, Education Technology – more here
• Richard Male – Twitter
• Richard Male – LinkedIn
• UFI Ventures – Twitter
• UFI VocTech Trust Strategy – website page
• UFI VocTech Trust Projects – website page
• Vesselina Stefanova Ratcheva – Twitter
• Vesselina Stefanova Ratcheva – LinkedIn
• Vesselina Stefanova Ratcheva – WE Forum website page
• Vesselina links: “Our Skills as the Currency of the Labour Market paper which also has a lot of good examples of initiatives such as MIT Digital Certifications Project and the EY workplace badging. Then one recent attempt to map areas of opportunity in the labour market globally the Jobs of Tomorrow Report.  Which connects in-demand jobs to in-demand skills and relevant edtech courses today.  Now, this is just against one course provider Coursera, but further such mappings are possible.  I know that NESTA did a lot of work to do this specifically for the UK. On the wellbeing angle, I know the What Works on Wellbeing folks have been doing a lot of work. With respect to COVID impact on jobs and skills, we are currently working on a few different insights that will come later into the year.”  – Thanks Vesselina! 
• World Economic Forum – Twitter
• Gordon Bateman – LinkedIn
• CRSI – Twitter
• National Numeracy – Twitter
• The future of work is here: 5 ways to reset labour markets after coronavirus recovery – WEForum article
• Coursera – Twitter
• Steve O Hear – Twitter
• TechCrunch – Twitter
• Niklas Zennström
• Atomico – Twitter
• Nesta UK – Twitter
• Burning Glass Technologies – Twitter
• Founders4Schools – Twitter
• Barclays Back to Business Programme – website page
• US Chamber of Commerce – website

Thank you to the Ufi Voctech Trust & Ufi Ventures

The Voctech Podcast Series is produced by The Edtech Podcast and supported by Ufi Voctech Trust and Ufi Ventures.

Our aim is to help improve vocational skills in the UK’s workforce by funding digital solutions for vocational learning. We only fund activity that is ‘scalable’ through technology, ie projects that use digital methods to widen access to vocational learning. While digital learning solutions are potentially open to all, we are especially keen to assist digital projects which involve post-school age vocational learners that have failed to be engaged by the education system. Contact: kate.atha@ufi.co.uk, Head of Communications, Ufi Voctech Trust.

Ufi Ventures offers early-stage ventures finance and support that draws on the depth of Ufi’s experience in developing digital technologies for skills needed for work. We can invest from £150,000 up to £1m as equity or debt into early-stage companies who share our mission and meet our investment criteria. We are keen to collaborate and co-invest with other value-aligned investors interested in the opportunity presented by the changing nature of work and skills. Contact: richard.male@ufi.co.uk

Tell us where you are listening in from

We’d love to hear about innovative technology or approaches you are developing or using in adult education. Leave your stories in the comments below. Alternately, record a quick free voicemail via speakpipe for inclusion in the next episode. Finally, you can post your thoughts or follow-on links via twitter @podcastedtech or via The Edtech Podcast Facebook page.