Innovation funder, Nesta and the Department for Education have launched a £5.75m programme looking for technology solutions to equip adults with employment skills.
There are two strands to the CareerTech Challenge, previously known as the Adult Learning Technology Innovation Fund, which aims to fund projects that will reskill people whose industries have been affected by automation.
The CareerTech Challenge Prize is offering a top award of £120,000, runner up of £80,000 and £50,000 to 20 finalists to find solutions that use labour market information to make advice and guidance more accessible.
The Career Tech Challenge Fund is offering grants of between £100,000 and £250,000 to organisations with tech solutions that can help people build their employability skills and confidence. Nesta will also provide support to help refine and test technology.
Yesterday the government announced a National Retraining Scheme and these funds form part of this plan to prepare people for the future. A National Retraining Service will be available to eligible adults in 2022.
Vicki Sellick, executive director of programmes at Nesta, said: “As the world of work transforms, it is crucial that people feel confident in understanding what jobs will be available in the future in their local area and how to learn the skills to secure them.
“Technology offers a variety of exciting ways to equip people with the knowledge and tools to plan for secure and rewarding careers and improve working lives for people across England.”
Applications for the Fund close on 9 December 2019 and entries for the Prize close on 29 January 2020. More details are available on Nesta's website.
|
Related articles
