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Graduate employability and skills

8 May 2019, 09:30 - 16:15

20 Tavistock Square 
London
United Kingdom
WC1H 9HQ

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Overview

Join us for the third annual UUK conference on employability and skills. Following the last two successful events we will once again bring delegates together to explore the current policy landscape, hear from leaders within and outside the sector, share case studies of good practice and provide opportunities to network and engage with colleagues.

Delegates will leave with a renewed enthusiasm and practical suggestions to tackle employability and skills initiatives within their own institution.

Why should you attend?

As the job market gets more and more competitive and employers are increasingly selective, with graduates competing with those from alternative pathways to work, we need to ask, 'how do we support student and graduate skills development for the future workforce?'

Statistics show that those from BAME backgrounds and lower socio-economic backgrounds are still least likely to find employment after graduation and are still amongst the lowest earners. More needs to be done to close this gap, but if there is a disconnect between the university and the employer how do we do that?

Join us as we explore the above two questions, other pertinent issues on the policy landscape and through a variety of plenaries, panels and breakout sessions come together to tackle the issues head on.

Who should attend?

Pro Vice-Chancellor, Employability and Partnerships
Pro Vice-Chancellor/Director, Innovation & Enterprise
Director/Head of Careers & Employability Service
Director/Head of Employability and Enterprise
Director of Academic Development/Services
Employer Liaison Director
Academic Registrar
Academic Quality/Partnerships Manager
Policy Lead/Head of Apprenticeships/Short Courses
Director of Teaching and Learning
Director/Head of Student Services
Head of Internal Partnerships & Programmes (Student Employability)

Testimonials

Attendees at last year's event said:

"Thank you, this has been the best careers conference that I have attended."
"Great to go to a conference where every session and speaker added value and insight and a variety of perspectives."
"A great line up of knowledgeable and passionate presenters."
"Really insightful conference, and for me it was particularly useful to link up employability with student mobility and network with those working in careers and employability across the sector."
"Thank you for organising an excellent conference."

We have a range of sponsorship opportunities available at this event. Please contact Esther Dudley, Head of Events and Engagement for information, tel: 020 7419 5412; email: esther.dudley@universitiesuk.ac.uk.

Agenda

09.30	Registration and refreshments
10.00	Welcome and opening remarks Liz Gorb, Director of Apprenticeships, Manchester Metropolitan University
10.10	Embedding employability Professor Anne Carlisle, Vice-Chancellor, Falmouth University
10.40	Moving forward to bridge the gap John Craven, Chief Executive, upREACH
11.10	Refreshments and networking
11.30	Breakouts
	Practical approaches to raising career expectations among widening participation students Marc Linter, Director of Student Experience, Newcastle University Emma Moore, Director of Careers & Employability, Liverpool University
	Peer-to-peer case study discussion
	21st Century skills: The key to modern employability Jeremy Lamri, Head of Research, Development and Prospective (Innovation), JobTeaser
12.30	Lunch and networking
13.15	Update from Universities UK Greg Wade, Policy Manager, Universities UK
13.30	Panel: Understanding the skills gap from different sectors Claire Tunley, Head of Employability, City of London and Lead Officer, HM Treasury Financial Services Skills Taskforce Edward McCaffrey, Senior Lecturer, BA Film [Production], Middlesex University Adrian Wootton, CEO, British Film Commission and Film London Harry Anderson, Senior Policy Advisor, CBI Institute of Engineering and Technology (Speaker name TBC)
14.15	Engaging with small and medium sized enterprise David Eade, Director of Employability & Enterprise, Nottingham Trent University
14.45	Graduate strategies Charlie Ball, Deputy Director of Research, HECSU
15.15	Refreshments and networking
15.35	The language gap and what it means for graduate skills Harriet Barnes, Head of Policy, Higher Education and Skills, The British Academy
15.55	How to engage your students Dr Bob Gilworth, President, AGCAS (The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services)
16.15	Chair's closing remarks

Speaker biographies

This page is being continuously updated

	Liz Gorb, Director of Apprenticeships at Manchester Metropolitan University Director of Apprenticeships at Manchester Metropolitan University, Liz is currently leading on the development of Degree Apprenticeships across the University. Liz and her team are working with over 230 global corporates and SMEs to successfully develop and deliver a pioneering programme of university-based Degree Apprenticeships to over 1,200 apprentices including Digital & Technology, Chartered Manager, Chemical Science, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, Social Work and the MBA Degree Apprenticeship. Previously holding senior roles at the City Lit, Covent Garden, London and the East Cheshire Business School, Liz has substantial experience of leadership and management in a variety of settings in both London and the North West.
	Professor Anne Carlisle, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Falmouth University Professor Carlisle joined Falmouth University as Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive in 2009. Since then, the University has gone through a period of major expansion and is one of the fastest growing universities in the UK having secured full university title in 2012. Falmouth University is a key driver in Cornwall’s economic regeneration and it won the Entrepreneurship Award in the 2017 Guardian Awards for its ground-breaking LAUNCHPAD programme, which Professor Carlisle founded. This programme takes graduate talent and builds new, high-growth tech companies to market demand in partnership with industry. Professor Carlisle received a first-class honours degree in Fine Art from the University of Ulster, an MA from University of the Arts London and co-founded CIRCA publications before starting her academic career. Prior to joining Falmouth University, Professor Carlisle was Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wales in Newport where she led research and innovation. Professor Carlisle received the award of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours list 2019.
	Greg Wade, Policy Manager, Universities UK Greg Wade is a policy manager at Universities UK leading on Innovation, growth, employability and skills. This work includes the Higher Education Innovation Fund, the economic impact of universities, English devolution and local growth, supply and demand for graduates and degree apprenticeships. During his career at Universities UK Greg has led policy in areas such as leadership, management and governance, teaching and learning, teacher education and better regulation. Before joining us Greg worked as a policy adviser in the predecessor to GuildHE, the Standing Conference of Principles leading on areas that included quality, estates, human resources and international issues. Greg started his career as a quality assurance officer at the University of Surrey where for seven years he was involved in administering external examining reports, internal course validation and external accreditation as well as servicing numerous university and faculty committees and managing audit and quality assessment visits. Greg also supported the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) submission. Greg was an audit secretary for five institutional quality audit visits.
	Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive, Film London and the British Film Comission Adrian Wootton OBE is the Chief Executive of Film London, the agency charged with developing the screen industries in the capital, and the British Film Commission, the unit responsible for promoting the UK as the best place to produce feature films and high end television. Prior to becoming the Chief Executive of Film London in 2003, Adrian was Acting Director of the British Film Institute (BFI), in addition to having been the Director of the London Film Festival (LFF), the National Film Theatre (NFT), Head of BFI Exhibition and Director of the crime and mystery film festival, Crime Scene. Before his appointment to the BFI, he was founding Director of Broadway Media Centre in Nottingham and Director of the Bradford Playhouse & Film Theatre. Adrian also serves as Visiting Professor of Film and Media at Norwich University of the Arts and Alumni Guest Lecturer at the University of East Anglia.
	David Eade, Director of Employability, Nottingham Trent University At NTU employability is a centralised service supporting 30,000 students across 4 campuses; David manages a large team delivering career development interventions and thousands of work experiences to enable students to successfully transition into graduate employment. David’s background is in Human Resources Management and he has many years experience across the electricity supply industry, automotive manufacturing and telecommunications sectors and prior to joining NTU he led a successful recruitment business specialising in the engineering and technology sectors. David is a business coach and has a Masters degree in Coaching and Behavioural Change, his research interests focus on the development of self-efficacy and resilience.
	Harriet Barnes, Head of Policy, Higher Education and Skills, The British Academy Harriet Barnes is Head of Policy (Higher Education and Skills) at the British Academy, where she leads the Academy’s work as the voice for the humanities and social sciences in the development of education and research policy. She previously worked for the Quality Assurance Agency, where she was closely involved in the developing the UK Quality Code, and for the University of Bedfordshire.

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Graduate employability and skills

Overview

Why should you attend?

Who should attend?

Testimonials

Agenda

Agenda

09.30

Registration and refreshments

10.00

Welcome and opening remarks

10.10

Embedding employability

10.40

Moving forward to bridge the gap

11.10

​Refreshments and networking

​11.30

​Breakouts

Practical approaches to raising career expectations among widening participation students

​

Peer-to-peer case study discussion

21st Century skills: The key to modern employability

​12.30

Lunch and networking

​13.15

​Update from Universities UK

13.30

Panel: Understanding the skills gap from different sectors

14.15

Engaging with small and medium sized enterprise

​14.45

Graduate strategies

15.15

Refreshments and networking

​15.35

The language gap and what it means for graduate skills

15.55

How to engage your students

​16.15

Chair's closing remarks

Speaker biographies

​Liz Gorb, Director of Apprenticeships at Manchester Metropolitan University

​Professor Anne Carlisle, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Falmouth University

Greg Wade, Policy Manager, Universities UK

Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive, Film London and the British Film Comission

David Eade, Director of Employability, Nottingham Trent University

Sponsored by

#SupportStudyAbroad

Sanaa Busaidy-Hubert

Esther Dudley

Blog

University disciplinary processes under the microscope

Creating the right environment for freedom of expression: new guidance for universities

News

UUK response on use of NDAs

Life-changing research at UK universities could be days away from stalling

Refreshments and networking

11.30

Breakouts

12.30

13.15

Update from Universities UK

14.45

15.35

16.15

Liz Gorb, Director of Apprenticeships at Manchester Metropolitan University

Professor Anne Carlisle, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Falmouth University