Talent & Skills Connect: Inspiring Educators
The Inspiring Educators webinar brought together organisations from across the UK’s innovation and skills landscape to spotlight the vital role educators play in shaping the future talent pipeline. Hosted as part of Innovate UK’s Talent & Skills Connect programme, the event showcased national efforts to equip teachers, trainers, and education leaders with the tools, resources, and industry connections they need to inspire the next generation.
With contributions from WorldSkills UK, the Education and Training Foundation, STEM Learning, and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, the session explored how collaborative action can strengthen educator capability and drive a more innovation ready workforce.
Translating global excellence into teaching
Alan Stewart from WorldSkills UK introduced Centre of Excellence, a programme designed to bring international best practice from WorldSkills competitions directly into classrooms and training environments.
Through a structured Continuous Professional Development (CPD) curriculum, the programme supports educators to move from competence to excellence, covering assessment, benchmarking, coaching, mindset development and AI for Excellence. With more than 15,000 educators engaged to date, the approach empowers teachers and trainers to build learner confidence, resilience and career readiness at scale.
Supporting educators to lead change
Jo Swindells from the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) highlighted the importance of supporting educators not just as teachers, but as leaders within their organisations.
ETF’s leadership programmes provide evidence-based development pathways for leaders at all stages, helping them build confidence, strategic capability and resilience. Jo also introduced the Technical Teaching Fellowship, which enables educators to explore innovative teaching approaches in areas such as AI, sustainability and digital technologies, while building strong professional networks across the sector.
Bringing industry into the classroom
Steve Clarke from STEM Learning shared how industry engagement plays a vital role in inspiring learners and helping them see future career possibilities.
A key focus was the STEM Ambassador Programme, which connects educators and learners with industry professionals who act as relatable role models. With nearly 30,000 STEM Ambassadors from over 3000 organisations, the programme helps challenge stereotypes, raise aspirations and show learners what STEM careers look like in practice.
Preparing learners for future industries
Professor Pete Osborne from the University of Sheffield AMRC, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, discussed the importance of aligning innovation, education and workforce development.
He highlighted how the Catapult network works with educators and industry to anticipate future skills needs and ensure learners are prepared for industrial transformation across areas such as net zero, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
Conclusion
The webinar reinforced a simple but powerful message: when educators feel supported, learners thrive. By working together across the skills ecosystem, these programmes are helping educators inspire curiosity, confidence and ambition, laying the foundations for a future workforce ready to drive innovation and sustainable growth across the UK.