Building Confidence in AI: Trainee Experience Working with Equipmii

As part of a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) funded AI traineeship programme, the National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD) partnered early-career data scientists with organisations working on real industry challenges. The aim was to give trainees practical experience while supporting businesses to explore how data science and AI could support their ambitions.

Equipmii, a startup developing AI-powered usability prediction to support inclusive product design, became one of those partners. Alongside technical progress, the project created a valuable learning environment where trainees could develop confidence, communication skills and a clearer understanding of how data science works in practice.

Working on a live industry challenge

Equipmii is focused on improving accessibility in product design. Their platform aims to help designers understand how people, particularly those living with impairments, might interact with physical products during the design phase so accessibility considerations can be addressed earlier.

For trainees, this meant contributing to a genuine business challenge rather than an academic exercise. They gained experience working within real constraints, responding to feedback from stakeholders and understanding how technical work fits into wider product and business decisions.

Skills developed through experience

One of the most noticeable changes over the course of the project was the trainees’ growing confidence, particularly in communicating their work.

Claire Given, Equipmii CEO, reflected on this progression:

“You could see their confidence growing week by week.”

Regular presentations formed a key part of the project structure. Each trainee had opportunities to explain their work, discuss challenges and share progress updates. This helped build confidence while also strengthening their ability to communicate technical ideas clearly to non-specialist audiences.

“One skill that I've improved in is my confidence in presentations” Carlo, AI Trainee

“By working on this project, I have improved my communication skills” Nazli, AI Trainee

From academic experience to real-world application

Many graduates leave university with strong technical knowledge but limited exposure to how projects unfold in commercial environments. This project helped bridge that gap.

Claire highlighted the value of seeing trainees demonstrate their skills in practice:

“It’s really hard for graduates to get a job because there’s always the worry that they don’t have any experience. What was fantastic about this programme is that it enabled us to see the skills that they have put into practice in real time.”

Working directly with a business gave trainees insight into how priorities shift, how decisions are made and how technical outputs support wider strategic goals. These are experiences that are difficult to replicate in purely academic settings.

“I am more comfortable with my technical skills, because I got to apply the skills I learned at University to real-world applications.” Nazli, AI Trainee

A two-way learning exchange

While the trainees gained industry exposure, Equipmii also benefited from fresh perspectives and dedicated technical input. The collaboration supported the development of their AI architecture and prompted useful discussions around future data collection and usability analysis approaches.

Claire also noted the quality of communication produced during the project:

“The materials that they created were really high standard and they were able to take something very complex and create documentation that not only helped us understand the paths that they were taking, but also enabled me to share our progress with investors in a way in which was digestible and easy to understand.”

Producing work that could be shared beyond the immediate project team gave trainees valuable experience in presenting technical outputs for broader audiences.

Supporting early-career AI talent

Graduates often struggle to gain initial industry experience, even when demand for AI skills continues to grow. By creating structured collaborations between businesses and emerging talent, NICD has helped address that gap by providing opportunities to build confidence and demonstrate capability in real settings.

For trainees, the Equipmii project offered hands-on experience, exposure to stakeholder communication and a better understanding of how their skills translate into business value.

For Equipmii, it provided additional technical capacity and insight while supporting the development of future AI talent.

Looking ahead

Equipmii continues to develop its accessibility-focused platform, building on the work completed during the collaboration. The project has strengthened their technical direction while also contributing to the professional development of the trainees involved.

For NICD, partnerships like this remain central to supporting both innovation and skills development. Connecting emerging data scientists with organisations tackling real challenges creates benefits on both sides and helps ensure that new talent enters the sector with practical experience as well as technical knowledge.

To hear about the experience from the trainee’s themselves, watch this video.

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