Seeking swift solutions: reflections from my first ever challenge event

2 Feb 2026 01:24 PM

Colleges and innovators recently came together to tackle challenges in the health and care sector through rapid, collaborative problem‑solving. The Newcastle-based event encouraged fresh thinking and quick learning across all involved. Here, Gray Mytton, Assessment Innovation Manager at NCFE, reflects on the value of this approach. 

I recently took part in my first innovation challenge event, hosted by Newcastle College in partnership with NCFE, the Innovation Super Network, and several local North East colleges. The day brought together educators and technology specialists to explore current issues within the health and care sector and to work quickly and collaboratively towards potential solutions. 

For me, it was a chance to see this innovation method of the challenge event in practice and understand how it could support our work here at NCFE as an educational charity and leader in vocational and technical learning. 

What is a challenge event? 

Challenge events are structured, time‑bound workshops designed to bring people together to solve a shared problem. They give participants a common focus and an open environment to collaborate, experiment, and think differently. 

A typical challenge event involves the following activities: 

• identifying and exploring a real issue in the sector 
• generating ideas that could address it 
• developing early‑stage solutions together 
• sharing, refining and learning from each other’s thinking. 

This approach helps organisations to collaborate, share expertise, and test emerging ideas without heavy investment. It supports a “fail fast” mentality by showing rapidly what might work, what needs refining, and what isn’t viable.  

In sectors like health and care – where needs evolve quickly and solutions often rely on collaboration – challenge events provide a valuable space to build shared understanding and accelerate progress. 

Identifying issues and seeking swift solutions 

At NCFE, we’re committed to shaping smarter learning and seeking out ways that innovation can continue to push the sector forward. I wanted to understand how challenge events could support us in this ambition, and whether this approach could bring value to our colleagues and partners. So – what did I learn on the day? 

The most notable thing was the speed at which we moved from identifying issues to creating potential solutions. In just half a day, we worked through ideas that some organisations could have spent weeks or months discussing. While any solution still needs to be built, tested and evaluated, this method offers a strong starting point. 

Another key insight for me was the importance of solution owners. These are the people who take ideas back into their organisations and champion them. They keep the momentum going, build connections, and help turn ideas into meaningful action. With “collaboration not competition” emerging as a clear theme of the day, the role of solution owners felt just as important as any technology on display.