Reflections on UVAC national conference 2025, Ann Minton

November always brings a sense of excitement at the promise of another UVAC conference, with a chance to meet up with friends and colleagues old and new.  This year was no exception, and it seems that I am not alone. Everyone that I spoke to, whether they were exhibitors, speakers, sponsors, delegates or UVAC associates, noted that the “networking opportunities” were one of the most valuable aspects of the annual conference.

This was my 15^th UVAC conference and many things have changed (no more 3-day events in York with a conference dinner in the splendour of St William’s College), but the essence and spirit of the meeting has not changed – sharing good practice and discussing policy issues in the field of Work-Based Learning ( WBL) and Skills. This year was no exception, and our CEO Dr Mandy Crawford- Lee, reminded us that UVAC provides a unique and independent voice for the HE sector with our skills development focus, and that UVAC members have generated £650million in apprenticeships this year, translating government policy into effective programme delivery.

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