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ISE HE Conference 2026

Programme

8 Dec 2026, 9 Dec 2026, 10 Dec 2026

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Keynote Speaker: Zena Everett

 

Powerful Goal Setting for 2027

It’s coming up to the end of the year so a perfect opportunity to reflect on 2026’s achievements and your ambitions for 2027.  We all know that most new year’s resolutions don’t last. Strava, the fitness app, calls the second Friday of January 'Quitters Day', because that’s when most people are likely to give up their great new intentions.  

This interactive session will work through how we want to show up next year and make sure that we spend our time, focus and energy on achieving what matters most - and help you help your students to achieve the same. 

Zena Everett, a leadership coach and award-winning author of three books, will guide us through her goal-setting techniques.

You will:

  • Decide on your values-based priorities for 2027 and understand what could be a distraction.
  • Stop worrying about things you can’t control and instead find fun and meaning in the everyday.
  • Take your role seriously whilst making your life easier.
  • Act like a confident high performer in the role you are in now or aspire to.
  • Be crystal clear on your role and the value you add. 
 

 

Through a mix of panels, research led sessions and case studies, the ISE HE Conference programme will include expert advice and opinion from employers, universities and key industry stakeholders on employability, skills,  attraction activity, application processes and workforce planning.

Confirmed sessions

  • Graduate outcomes, devolution and place: using data for skills strategy
    with Charlie Ball, Jisc

  • ISE Student Recruitment and Development Reports: skills trends
    with ISE's Head of Insights, Dr Claire Tyler and employer panel
  • Embedding employability in the curriculum
    with Bath Spa University with an employer partner
  • Exploring excellence: recognising the best in collaboration
    with ISE Award winners, Birmingham City University and partners

More sessions will be announced over the coming weeks.

Employer speakers

A hugely valuable aspect of the conference is hearing from employers on their approaches and successes and how they've teamed up with universities. We're pleased to share the following employers will be giving their views, with more to be announced soon:

  • Lindsay Rowe, Sainsbury's
  • Emily Goodyear, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
  • Nicholas Wills, Atkins Limited

Booking is now Available

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  • Last year myself and EY colleagues found the conference added a whole tonne of value to our future planning. It wasn’t your typical conference – more of a deep dive into what’s really happening in talent acquisition. Focusing on the topics that matter including AI in recruitment and effective early careers programme management. It you’re serious about staying on top of your game, the ISE conference is the place to be.

    Greame Butler, Assistant Director, EY

  • I always find the ISE Recruitment Conference a great opportunity to connect with peers, hear about innovations and new ideas, and reflect our Early Careers strategy for the year ahead.

    Phil Sartain, Early Careers Leader, Aon

  • When I first attended the ISE Conference I learned so much from the people I met and the sessions I attended.  Over 15 years later I keep going back because every year I still learn something new.

    Paul Roberts, Early Careers Programme Associate, RWE