Entry Deadline: 20 September 2026 09:00
ISE HE Conference 2026: creating shared success
Date: 08 - 10 December 2026
Venue: Online via Zoom
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM (GMT) daily
Call for Content
We invite our ISE member organisations to submit content for any of the session themes outlined below. These submissions will then be reviewed by members of the Universities Steering Group, and successful ones will form the breakout sessions of the conference.
Share your expertise and experiences on any of the session themes below by submitting a proposal by 9am on Monday 20 September 2026.
The event is for HE professionals who focus on:
- Careers advice and guidance
- Employer engagement
- Employability and skills
We are looking for submissions for sessions that will help HE professionals understand what employers are doing now in early talent: how they are adapting attraction, selection, onboarding, skills development and partnership models, and what universities can do in response. Sessions should be practical, evidence-informed and designed to give delegates ideas they can apply in their own institutions.
We are keen for a creative range of sessions, including panels, masterclass-type sessions, interactive workshops and others. We welcome submissions from university collaborations, university/employer partnerships as well as from solution providers. Across all themes, we will give priority to sessions that answer the question HE audiences most want explored: what are employers doing differently, why are they doing it, and what can universities learn or change as a result?
The key themes we have identified for content are:
1. Skills
Demonstrate what employers are looking for now and how that is changing, including the skills, behaviours and capabilities they are prioritising in early talent. We are particularly interested in sessions that connect employer evidence with university skills frameworks, regional skills agendas and practical approaches that help students recognise, develop and evidence their skills.
2. Embedding employability in the curriculum
Share case studies of embedding employability into the curriculum that have been co-designed with employers, and examples of successfully supporting students to articulate and evidence their skills in a competitive job market.
3. Early talent attraction
Explore how employers are changing their attraction activities as a result of the increasing application volumes, and what does a results-driven employer/university partnership look like.
4. Sustainable partnerships & sector-wide collaboration
With ongoing financial and operational pressures, how are universities and employers building partnerships that are resilient, scalable, and impactful. This might be linked to innovative models, regional alliances, and cross-sector collaborations that strengthen the student talent pipeline.
5. Supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds
Case studies of employers & universities supporting students from a range of backgrounds successfully into graduate opportunities.
There is no charge for submitting content for the conference.
To submit an entry, you will be asked out outline the key content (500 words max) and the key benefits and takeaways (500 words max).
Those successfully chosen to present will need to buy a ticket for each of the participants attending on the day.
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