We’re on a mission to break boundaries in assessment with an investment fund to support and pilot new ideas on the future of assessment.
“We’re in the middle of a workplace readiness crisis” says Ellie Simpson, Co-founder of Sixty Learn.
Across the UK, young people are entering the job market less prepared - and less likely to secure meaningful employment - than ever before. Not because they lack potential, but because they lack confidence, carry the hangover of the pandemic, and are still being taught in systems that prioritise academics over employability.
However, FE leaders are recognising this shift - many citing employability skills and work readiness as their top priority. But limited funding means they can’t deliver the personalised, skills-based support that today’s students need at scale.
In response to this need, NCFE, in partnership with Ufi VocTech Trust and Sixty Learn LTD, is launching a new project as part of the Assessment Innovation Fund (AIF), focussed on addressing this critical gap.
The project introduces a scalable, AI-powered simulation platform designed to immerse students in realistic workplace scenarios - allowing them a safe space to practice, whilst providing personalised feedback on their performance. It will offer a more inclusive and impactful way to build and assess workplace readiness – so every student gets the support they deserve.
The simulation platform places students in dynamic, open-ended professional situations, such as managing upwards, delivering meetings or calling a colleague. Students have live conversations, make decisions, and receiving personalised feedback in real time.
The project will compare open-ended simulations with traditional multiple-choice formats to evaluate impact on confidence, fairness, accuracy and inclusion - mirroring the complexity of real working life.
The project aims to primarily focus on FE and HE underserved students. It will generate evidence on student confidence, perceived fairness, and the usefulness of AI-generated feedback, generating robust evidence to support future adoption.
Employability training is often optional, unassessed and undervalued - especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Without credible assessment, students lack recognition for the skills employers value most: communication, decision-making and professional judgement, and more.
This project addresses a critical gap by offering a scalable, inclusive and behaviour-based experience and assessment model. It supports institutions under pressure to improve student outcomes and meet regulatory expectations - while giving students meaningful insight into their strengths and areas for development.
By the end of this project, we aim to:
Sixty Learn LTD is a private sector education technology company focused on improving student outcomes through immersive, AI-powered experiences and short engaging microlearning courses.
Founded by Joe Sheffield and Ellie Simpson – both shaped by their experience of entering the workplace underprepared and determined to change that. Today the company is committed to equity, innovation and practical skill development.
Their simulation platform has already been tested with over 200 students and is in active development with leading institutions including Nottingham Trent University.
This project will validate the experience, and assessment model at scale - concluding in a research report to benefit the education sector and support future adoption. Sixty Learn aims to embed the simulations into curriculum and careers provision across FE and HE - offering institutions a flexible, browser-based solution that complements existing systems.
If you’d like to learn more about the project or explore opportunities to get involved, please contact Alexandra Brown-Adams, Innovation Officer at NCFE: [email protected].
