UFI VocTech Trust is an independent charity whose mission is to support the development of digital technologies that help us all to obtain the vocational skills we need to get more out of our working lives.
In 2019 FEL worked alongside UFI to create a series of technical skills videos which became a pilot interactive digital resource to support learners to develop the technical skills needed for the modern garment manufacturing industry. Modules from a Skills and Education Group (SEG) Level 1 qualification were converted into digital learning content, with interactive assessment processes embedded.
Jenny Holloway commented:
‘We were delighted to be part of this funding program and actually we were ahead of our time! The use of videos and the learner identifying incorrect steps in sewing practices in videos as part of the assessment process has been extremely useful during these covid times and moving our courses online. A big thank you to the team at Ufi for being so supportive and we would most definitely love to roll out this concept further with our other courses. God loves a trier!’
Click here for article on FEL’s digital resource with the UFI
UFI has released a Green Paper that represents more than three months of dialogue and discovery around the challenges faced in developing digital technologies within learning. The paper explains:
Access to technology and data is a big issue for those most at risk of being excluded from training. There is a significant equality gap that needs to be addressed urgently. Even where there was greater access, motivation to learn was a big issue. Employers were reported to be unwilling to accept that online training was ‘real’ learning and that perception may be a barrier to adoption.
Learning is generally not a solitary activity, either the learning or the practical application of skills usually involves others. Group learning remains the norm across providers, and in that context those not able to join online groups are disadvantaged. It is also a team sport for developers, learning designers, and trainers who value the ability to bounce ideas around, get inspired by others’ thinking and ideas.
The landscape here challenges us to look differently at how VocTech connects people in the learning, teaching, and development phases. How can we innovate to include practical skills in the virtual world? How do we create more and better trained learning designers to be fully able to exploit the potential of VocTech to offer truly disruptive solutions? How can awarding and accrediting bodies engage to look at new models for modular and bite-sized, skills-based assessment? How do we engage employers to better understand their day-to-day needs?
Click here for the Green Paper