Information
ISE Student Development Conference 2025
Building tomorrow's workforce: skills, growth, success
7 May 2025 | in-person conference
The Minster Building, 21 Mincing Lane, London, EC3R 7AG
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Please note that if your organisation is a member but you are not currently a listed contact, you will need to email membership first to be added to the organisation account in order to secure the member rate: membership@ise.org.uk
This conference brings together L&D professionals in the world of early talent both from an Employer, Education Provider and Solution Provider background. The conference programme will explore some of the key themes and challenges faced by this L&D community and offer insight and practical solutions to enable delegates to leave the event with greater confidence and knowledge.
Keynote Speaker: Bobby Duffy
Bobby Duffy is Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute. He Chairs the Campaign for Social Science and the CLOSER Advisory Board, is a member of the Executive of the Academy of Social Sciences, a trustee of British Future and a Senior Fellow of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto. He was previously Global Director of the Ipsos Social Research Institute, has been seconded to the UK Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, and was a fellow at the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion at LSE. His first book, The Perils of Perception – Why we’re wrong about nearly everything, was published by Atlantic books in 12 countries, drawing on a set of global studies on how people misperceive key social realities. His latest book, Generations - Does when you’re born shape who you are?, came out in 2021 and challenges myths and stereotypes around generational trends, seeking a greater understanding around generational challenges and intergenerational connection.
Keynote Speaker Session:
Do you really need a Gen Z workplace strategy?
Bobby Duffy, Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute
There’s a lot of talk about how different Gen Z are and how workplaces need to adapt to their needs, or do more to shape them. But do these claimed differences reflect realities, or are they examples of the myths we always attach to the youngest generation? This session will sort the truth from the stereotypes. It will question whether we really need a workplace Gen Z strategy, or whether that’s actually part of the problem and instead we should focus on connecting across the generations at work – as one of the few places left that regularly brings such a wide range of age groups together.
Headline Sponsor Session:
Clowning About with AI: using Play, Curiosity, and Emotional Intelligence to embrace AI in Early Career Development
Alice Hooper-Scott, Director, The School of Life at Work
The School of Life at Work will explore how to support early career talent to thrive amid the uncertainty of a rapidly evolving, AI-enhanced workplace. By embracing the unpredictable, being deliberately and deeply human, and engaging with AI as a creative collaborator rather than a threat, we can rethink how we prepare our future workforce for a radically changing workplace. Expect an insightful, unconventional take on AI—challenging perspectives and sparking new approaches to student development.
Conference Sessions:
Potential to performance: Understand & Impact the Journey!
Kamal Ellis-Hyman Founder of Aim A Little Higher
This session will explore the 4 step journey every young person goes through on their way to high performance. We’ll explore each stage understanding the traits, challenges and potential dangers of each stage. We’ll then explore ways in which we can impact the young people along each stage and how our input can speed up their progress into the next stage. This session will be high energy, interactive and invite reflection on your own journey to high performance as we seek to understand how we can aid the journey of our youngest recruits.
Building Human Skills in Early Talent: Evidence-Based Approaches for Future-Ready Development
Josh Mackenzie, Founder and Chair, Development Beyond Learning
In today's rapidly changing workplace, conventional talent development approaches are inadequate. This interactive session, informed by the latest LDP Survey and Development Beyond Learning's expertise, examines how organisations can future-proof their early talent programmes. Through Menti polls, group discussions, collaborative problem-solving and digital tools, participants will engage with emerging approaches to skills development. We'll explore how leading companies are reimagining learning experiences, showcasing innovative strategies for human skills development, creating engaged learning communities and developing adaptive talent pathways. Combining empirical research with practical methodologies and hands-on activities, this session offers a roadmap for transforming early career development. Attendees will gain actionable insights for creating programmes that address current challenges while anticipating future workforce needs.
Level Up: using Gaming Concepts to Prepare Students for the Future of Work
Shoshanna Davis, Founder, Fairy Job Mother with Zayd Dawood, Academic Course Leader in MSc Game Development at University of Gloucestershire and MSc Student Panel
This session dives into a cool collaboration between gaming Fairy Job Mother and MSc students at the University of Gloucestershire to create gamified learning that actually works. With Gen Z thriving in interactive, tech-driven spaces, gamification makes training way more engaging and effective. We’ll showcase a live demo, share research-backed insights and give you practical tips to bring gamification into your own training. Walk away with fresh ideas and real strategies to level up how you train graduates, apprentices and emerging talent!
Student to Professional: a research and data led study
Rebecca Fielding, Founder and MD of Gradconsult with HSBC and FCA
Across 2024 we conducted a large scale study with 18 organisations and over 1,000 participants to map the psychological shifts from Student to Professional. Join us in this session where we will share the data, insights and learning from this study. Attendees will explore the nine key psychological shifts from Student to Professional (STP) life, with real examples; identify where student/early careers hires are struggling most with the shifts and how this differs from managers views and discover how to apply the STP model to onboarding, induction, and ongoing development.
Mindsets for Success
Jon Down, Director of Development, Grit Breakthrough Programmes
Mindsets for Success: bringing lessons from work with university students on fostering proactive behaviours and enabling them to be their best selves, to work on the motivating and nurturing of talent in the workplace. In the session we will share Grit’s experiences of working with students over 15+ years, in 50+ universities, on issues around behaviours, attitudes, mind sets, getting students out of their comfort zones and bringing out the best in them. In a group discussion we will, across some key themes, explore some practical takeaways that ISE members can take back to their work supporting new hires or student employability programmes.
Inclusive onboarding and progression, what really works?
Dave Payne, Head of Access and Volunteer Programmes, ICAEW
Jez Brooks, Early Talent Manager, Moore Kingston Smith
Jenn Barnett, ED&I and ESG Lead, Grant Thornton
Jenny Baskerville, Chief Executive, The Bridge Group
Access Accountancy, established in 2014, aims to ensure equal access and progression in the accountancy profession regardless of background. The charity collaborates with around 30 employers to improve inclusion in areas such as outreach, hiring, work experience, progression, advocacy, and leadership. This panel session, with leading representatives from top employers, will discuss how to make onboarding and talent programs more inclusive, addressing barriers like educational disparities, financial constraints, social capital, and discrimination.
Enhancing workplace readiness with AI
Richard Edwards, Founder, The 100th Monkey Communications
The omnipresence of AI in conversations about the current and future workplace presents challenges for learning and development leaders: where to start, if/when/how to incorporate it, and is the tech reliable and effective? This highly interactive and insightful session introduces delegates to a practical example of the latest AI tech for soft skills training – used extensively with hundreds of early career professionals in the past year within workplace readiness programmes. With live demonstrations we will explore how an AI tool creates in-the-room training impact, and enhances post-session continued learning. We will explore how AI tools have developed in the past year alone and through polls and Q&A open up the conversation about the broader benefits and drawbacks of applying AI in training environments.
Thinking outside the box: equipping your early talent the strongest foundations to weather the toughest storms
The Outward Bound Trust with GSK
Join us for an inspiring and transformative session where GSK and Outward Bound showcase their unique partnership in developing resilient, work-ready early careers talent through the power of adventure in the wild. In this session, we discuss how societal challenges impact new student hires and learn how outdoor experiences can help bridge the generational gap. You will gain insights from Outward Bound's perspective and GSK's employer's viewpoint on fostering essential skills like teamwork, communication, and resilience. There will be opportunities to engage in interactive discussions, hear firsthand experiences, and walk away with practical strategies to enhance wellbeing and productivity in your workplace. Don't miss this opportunity to discover a unique way to develop and empower tomorrow's leaders!
Building the skills needed for today’s graduates: how to help your Gen Z hires thrive in the workplace
Dr Khairunnisa Mohamedali, Chief Innovation Officer, The Smarty Train
The World Economic Forum recently reported that almost 40% of workers’ core skills need to change by 2030, and 85% of employers plan to upskill their workforce over the next 5 years. With challenges ahead, such as tightening labour markets and an unstable, changing world, equipping your graduates with the skills to pivot and adapt within their career is more important than ever. This session uses interactivity, real-life examples and science-backed research from The Smarty Train’s transdisciplinary team of futurists, learning design specialists and behavioural scientists to give participants practical tools and actionable approaches to upskill and support their graduates to be exceptional performers, both short and long term.
Pricing
ISE members £345 + VAT / Non members £445 + VAT
Why attend?
At the conference, you can expect to engage in:
- Inspiring speaker sessions: gain fresh perspectives and insights.
- Themed panels: explore critical topics and trends through engaging panel discussions, providing a deeper understanding of challenges and opportunities.
- Breakout sessions for live debate and interaction: connect with a diverse group of peers, participate in lively debates, and gather valuable insights to inspire your professional practices.
Thank you to our sponsors...
Headline Sponsor
Supporting Sponsors
Organised by: Vivienne Wootten of Institute of Student Employers
Phone Number: 07545 428464
Directions
Plan your journey
by Bus
Great Tower Street: I5, NI5
Fenchurch Street: 35, 47, 40
by Rail
Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street & Cannon Street Overground Stations are all within a 10 minute walk or just a 5 minute taxi ride.
by Underground
Bank - Central, Northern, Waterloo & City – 5 min walk
Leave Bank Tube, walk East along Lombard St, cross over Bishopsgate and continue East along Fenchurch St, in 500 yards turn right onto Mincing Lane, our private entrance to The Minster Building is on your left half way along the road.
Cannon Street - Central, Northern, Waterloo & City – 5 min walk
Leave Cannon St Tube, walk East along Cannon St for 5 minutes, turn left onto Mincing Lane, our private entrance to The Minster Building will be on your right.
by Car
To plan your journey by car visit The AA’s Route Planner and enter our postcode: EC3R 7AG. Please note that this events venue is within the Congestion Charge Zone and Ultra Low Emission Zone
Select an option
Car Parking
There is no parking at The Minster Building. The nearest car park is Tower Hill Car Park which is inside the Congestion Charge Zone. Information on the nearest public car parks is available at NCP Parking.
Blue Badge Parking Scheme
To view spaces in the area reserved for Blue Badge holders on a map please visit GOV.UK and enter our postcode: EC3R 7AG.
Prices
Please find a list of tickets for this event below.
| Ticket |
Price |
|
Member ticket
|
£345.00 |
|
Non Member ticket
|
£445.00 |
| No tickets were found for this event. |
All listed prices are excluding VAT
Delegate Terms and Conditions
Full payment for delegate places must be made prior to the date of the event. Once a booking is submitted and received by ISE the booking constitutes a firm booking which can only be cancelled in accordance with our cancellation policy set out below.
Cancellation policy
All cancellations must be received by submitting a ‘request a refund’ email .This must then be followed by a telephone call to confirm receipt.
Delegate place cancellations received 29 days or more prior to an event will be entitled to a 100% credit voucher or refund. Cancellations received between 15 days and 28 days (inclusive) prior to the event will receive a 100% credit voucher to attend a future ISE event or a 75% refund. For cancellations received between 1 day and 14 days (inclusive) prior to the event, no credit voucher or refund will be given. Substitutions are welcome at any time.
Failure to attend the event on the day will constitute late cancellation and no refund will be given.
Filming and recording
By attending an ISE event, delegates consent to being filmed, recorded and photographed. Delegates grant the ISE the right to use recordings of any type made of their attendance in any and all media, and by means of publicity and promotion relating to the ISE.
The unauthorised use of photographic, sound or film equipment at an ISE event is strictly prohibited. If you wish to use this equipment, please contact the Events Team prior to the start of the event. The copyright is assigned to the ISE for any recordings of events produced by the ISE. Unauthorised recording may result in content being destroyed, and your removal from the event without a ticket refund.
Programme changes
Due to unforeseen circumstances the programme may change and ISE reserves the right to alter the venue and/or speakers. Any substitutions or alterations will be updated on our website as soon as possible.
ISE reserves the right to cancel an event if enrolment criteria are not met or when conditions beyond its control prevail. Every effort will be made to contact each enrollee if a programme is cancelled. If a programme is not held for any reason, ISE's liability is limited to the refund of the programme fee only.
ISE is not responsible for any loss or damage as a result of a speaker substitution, alteration, cancellation, or postponement of an event. ISE shall assume no liability whatsoever if an event is altered, rescheduled, postponed or cancelled due to a fortuitous event or unforeseen occurrence that renders performance of an event inadvisable, illegal, impracticable or impossible.
For purpose of this clause, a fortuitous event shall include, but shall not be limited to: an Act of God; governmental restrictions and/or regulations; war or apparent act of war; terrorism or apparent act of terrorism: disaster; civil disorder, disturbance, and/or riots; curtailment, suspension, and/or restriction on transportation facilities/means of transportation; or any other emergency.
Registration and payment details
Payment must be made in sterling in advance of the event in order for your booking to be processed. If payment has not been received two weeks before the event, credit card details will be required to guarantee and process your booking.
Delegate Lists
At many of our events we distribute delegates lists to attendees. These lists consist of the full name, job title and company name of all registered attendees, but do not include contact details such as email addresses. If you don’t want to be on the delegate list for an event, please let us know by emailing events@ise.org.uk
Intellectual Property Rights
As a delegate you may receive and possess the course/workshop materials and use and circulate the course materials within your organisation. You may not use the course materials for resale or in the development of a commercial product without the prior written consent of the ISE. The ownership of the course intellectual property rights remain with the ISE unless agreed otherwise in writing with the ISE.
Travel and accommodation
Delegates are responsible for the arrangement and payment of their own travel and accommodation, unless specified otherwise. There are occasions where ISE will arrange a special room rate at a number of hotels. If this is the case it will be detailed on the promotional literature and webpage for that event.
Additional requirements
Please notify ISE when booking (and at least one month before the event date) if you have any additional special requirements to guarantee availability e.g. dietary, wheelchair access, large print, hearing loop etc.
Dissatisfaction with an event
ISE takes complaints very seriously indeed and tries to ensure that all users are pleased with their experience of our service. Those persons who make a complaint will be dealt with courteously and promptly so that the matter is resolved as quickly as possible.
Our aim is to react to complaints in the way in which we would want our complaint about a service to be handled. We learn from every mistake that we make and we intend to respond to complainant's concerns in a professional manner.
Should an issue present itself whilst attending an ISE event, you are encouraged to raise this with a member of the ISE team working onsite. Wherever possible the team will endeavour to resolve any issues as the event takes place.
If you are dissatisfied with an event for any reason, please contact Vivienne Wootten, Head of Events and Commercial Partnerships, by email to vivienne@ise.org.uk or write to Institute of Student Employers, 6 Bath Place, Rivington Street, London EC2A 3JE