# £5.75 million programme to invest in equipping adults for jobs of the future

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/10/16/5-75m-programme-to-invest-in-equipping-adults-for-jobs-of-the-future/
- Published: 2019-10-16T09:00:04+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Nesta and the Department for Education (DfE) have launched the CareerTech Challenge:
a £5.75 million programme to find products and services that will equip adults across
England with the necessary tools and skills to find employment in the future.**

According to Nesta, one fifth of UK workers are currently in occupations that will
be affected by automation over the next 10 to 15 years. The [CareerTech Challenge](https://www.nesta.org.uk/project/careertech-challenge/),
formerly the Adult Learning Technology Innovation Fund, is seeking solutions to 
help people working in England aged 24 to 65, without a degree and earning less 
than £35,000 per year.

It consists of two parts:

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 * The [CareerTech Challenge Prize](http://careertechprize.challenges.org), to find
   digital solutions that use labour market information to make high-quality, future-
   focused information, advice and guidance more accessible. 20 finalists will receive
   £50,000 each as well as expert support to help them further develop their solutions.
   In March 2021, the winner will be awarded £120,000 with one runner-up receiving
   £80,000.
 * The [CareerTech Challenge Fund](https://www.nesta.org.uk/project/careertech-challenge)
   to source innovative tech solutions which support people to build motivation 
   to learn and develop new skills online. Existing online learning generally has
   low completion rates, so Nesta is calling for tech solutions which successfully
   engage people and build their employability skills and confidence for transitioning
   into new job roles. Nesta will provide grants of between £100,000 to £250,000
   for successful applicants, alongside tailored support to help refine and test
   their tech.

Both are now open, and applications for the Fund close on 9 December 2019 with entries
for the Prize closing on 29 January 2020.

Vicki Sellick, [Nesta](https://www.nesta.org.uk)’s Executive Director of Programmes,
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.”

The CareerTech Challenge will support the development of the government’s National
Retraining Scheme, and launch on the same day that the DfE announces the roll-out
of the first part of the scheme, Get Help to Retrain, to three further areas. The
Scheme will help prepare adults for the future changes to the economy, including
those brought about by automation, and help them retrain into better jobs. The National
Retraining Scheme is being developed and rolled out in stages, with a series of 
products being built and tested in parallel. The complete National Retraining Scheme
service will be available for eligible adults in 2022.

Education Minister, Michelle Donelan, added:

> “The CareerTech Challenge is a fantastic opportunity for innovators looking to
> put their ideas into action on a national scale.
> “Everyone deserves access to high-quality teaching and, thanks to new technologies
> such as automation and Artificial Intelligence, there is potential to drastically
> improve the quality of online learning for adult students.
> “Investing in cutting edge technologies demonstrates our ongoing commitment to
> adult education and we hope it will encourage more adults to retrain and upskill
> in future.”

 * **[Nesta launches £15,000 prize for new forms of storytelling](https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/10/24/nesta-launches-15000-prize-for-new-forms-of-storytelling/)**(
   24 October 2019)
 * **[Nesta unveils 10-year strategy to harness innovation for good of millions](https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/03/03/nesta-unveils-10-year-strategy-to-harness-innovation-for-good-millions/)**(
   3 March 2021)
 * **[Nesta report highlights what is holding charities back in using digital technology](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/10/15/nesta-report-highlights-holding-charities-back-using-digital-technology/)**(
   15 October 2014)

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