We are pleased to announce the programme outline for our 2026 National Conference, bringing together leaders, practitioners, employers and providers to explore the future of higher technical and professional education. 

Taking place on Thursday 19 November at MTC Coventry, this year’s conference, Reimagining HE and Skills: Policy, Place, Innovation and Growth, will examine how the sector is responding to a rapidly changing policy and skills landscape — and what comes next. 

The programme has been designed to go beyond diagnosis and into action, bringing together practical experience, evidence and fresh thinking from across the sector. Through keynote presentations, breakout sessions and a cross-sector plenary panel, speakers will explore how institutions, employers and providers are responding to current challenges, where innovation is emerging and what can be learned from practice.. 

Whether you are a first-time attendee or a regular UVAC delegate, the conference offers a chance to hear what is working, challenge existing thinking, share experience and take away practical ideas that can be applied within your own organisation. 

Doors open at 8.00am for registration and refreshments, with the programme starting at 9.15am and closing at 5.00pm 

Here’s a look at what we have planned: 

Morning programme 

Welcome Mandy Crawford-Lee, Chief Executive, UVAC  

Keynote Presentation: Exploring the creative impact of technology at the intersection of fashion, retail, and priority industry growth sectors  

Keynote Presentation: Headline Sponsor – Aptem  

Presentation: Professional Solutions: How Systems and Professional Solutions Providers Are Supporting Employers and Providers to Respond to Challenges –  BUD  

Breakout Session 1: Under Pressure, Ahead of the Curve  

Navigating the funding and policy shift – how the system is changing, and how institutions are responding, workshops and presentations include: 

• Beyond the Headlines – Understanding What the Data Means for Your Next Inspection  

• Beyond Recruitment: The Real Drivers of Sustainable Apprenticeship Delivery  

• From Compliance to Confidence: How Coaching and Early Intervention Keep Apprentices  

• The Policy Paradox: Defunding a Model that Delivers Workforce and Service Impact  

• From Course Portfolios to Skills Ecosystems: A Practical Model for Reimagining Higher Skills Shaping Skills Provision to Meet Sector and Local Labour Market Needs  

Afternoon programme  

Breakout Session 2: Proof in Practice – Evidence, Employers and Place  

People, place and proof of impact – who benefits, where, and how you demonstrate it, workshops and presentations include: 

• Employer Voice: What Businesses Need from Higher Education and Skills Providers 

• From Competition to Collaboration: Building Regional Skills and Opportunity Ecosystems for Growth in Every Postcode 

• The Retention Dividend: Turning Early Warning Signs into Apprenticeship Growth 

• NHS England – The Future of Apprenticeships in the NHS 

• Multi-institutional Evidence on the Power of the Nurse Degree Apprenticeship from the Student Perspective 

Breakout Session 3: Building Tomorrow’s Provision, Today  

Designing provision that works – curriculum, partnership and learner pathways, workshops and presentations include: 

• Beyond EPA: Co-designing the Future of Apprenticeship Assessment 

• A Pathway to the Healthcare Workforce: Evaluation of a University–School Partnership Model for T Level in Health Delivery 

• T Levels and the Growth of University Progression: Evidence, Impact and What’s Next  

• Leveraging Generative AI: Developing the ANCHOR Framework for Progress Reviews 

• Apprenticeship Pathways: Progression in the Vocational Track 

• Keeping Employers on Board, Not Bored 

• Innovating for the Future Workforce: Developing an Employer-Led Enhanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship for Urgent Community Care 

Keynote Presentation: Inspiring technical excellence: parachute your learning!    

Plenary Panel Session: Place, Partnership and the Future of Skills 

Closing Remarks  

Drinks Reception – Following the close of the conference sessions you are warmly welcomed to gather with the UVAC team for this informal end-of-day event. 

Book your place now and join us on 19 November for a day of insight, practical discussion and connection with people shaping the future of HE and skills.