ISE Student Development Conference 2027 Call for Content

Entry Deadline: 13 November 2026 23:59

ISE Student Development Conference

Unlearn. Rethink. Reinvent: Creating development programmes fit for the future of work

The world of work is changing faster than many development programmes, managers and traditional learning models can keep pace with. AI is reshaping roles and learning, entry-level work is being redefined, and employers need people who can think critically, exercise sound judgement, adapt quickly and remain effective through constant change.

The 2027 ISE Student Development Conference will explore how employers can prepare graduates and apprentices not simply for their first role, but for careers in a workforce that will continue to evolve.

We are looking for brave, bold and practical content that challenges established thinking, confronts difficult questions and showcases innovative approaches to talent development. This is a conference for people who are prepared to share what really works, what has not worked and what needs to change.

Submissions should align with one or more of the following five themes:

1. Human capability in an AI-enabled workforce
2. Work readiness, confidence and sustainable performance
3. Reinventing development programmes
4. Managers as development multipliers
5. Proving value and building the business case

Call for content themes

1. Human capability in an AI-enabled workforce

AI is changing not only how people work, but how they learn. As technology increasingly provides answers and completes tasks, employers need to ensure that graduates and apprentices continue to develop curiosity, critical thinking, independent learning and sound professional judgement.

We are looking for submissions that include:

• How can organisations build critical thinking, professional judgement and ethical decision-making when AI can generate immediate and convincing answers?
• How should graduate and apprentice roles evolve as AI reshapes entry-level work, learning opportunities and future talent pipelines?

2. Work readiness, confidence and sustainable performance

Employers continue to report gaps in work readiness, confidence, independence and professional skills among some early careers’ hires. Disrupted education, increased online learning and changing experiences of the transition to adulthood may also be influencing how young people learn, interact and adjust to working life.

Rather than generalising about a generation, we want to examine what is happening, why it matters and what employers and education partners can practically do about it.

We are looking for submissions that include:

• What does being "work ready" mean in today's workplace, and how can employers, universities and education partners work together to better prepare young people for successful transitions into employment?
• How can employers create environments that combine psychological safety, belonging and wellbeing with accountability, performance and high expectations?

We particularly welcome evidence-led content that includes practical examples of how employers have identified and addressed work-readiness gaps.

3. Reinventing development programmes

Many of today’s graduate and apprentice programmes were designed for roles, technologies and working environments that are already changing. Rather than making incremental adjustments to existing models, employers may need to reconsider what a development programme is for, how learning should happen and what successful development looks like.

We are looking for submissions that include:

• What will effective graduate and apprentice development look like by 2030, and what should employers be changing today to prepare for it?
• How can employers embed learning into real work and create meaningful opportunities for experiential learning, practice and growth?

We want to hear from organisations that are genuinely experimenting. This includes approaches that succeeded, initiatives that did not deliver as expected and the lessons employers learned when established methods were no longer enough.

4. Developing better managers for early careers

The quality of an early careers experience is often shaped by the capability, confidence and commitment of the line manager. Yet managers may be under pressure, have limited time or feel unprepared for the development responsibilities being asked of them.

How can employers create more willing and more able managers of early careers talent, and ensure that developing future capability is recognised as a core part of the manager’s role?

We are looking for submissions that include:

• What does effective management of graduates and apprentices look like, and how can organisations build more willing and more capable line managers?
• How can employers create a culture in which developing future talent is recognised as a shared responsibility and a driver of organisational performance, retention and progression?

We particularly welcome sessions that bring development professionals and line managers together to share the realities of what works on the ground.

5. Proving value and building the business case

In a challenging economic and organisational environment, graduate and apprentice hiring cannot be justified simply because it is established practice. Early careers and development teams need to demonstrate how their work addresses workforce needs, strengthens future capability and creates meaningful organisational value.

We are looking for submissions that include:

• What measures, evidence and insights are most effective in demonstrating programme impact to senior leaders, finance teams and workforce planners?
• How can employers connect development activity with organisational outcomes such as performance, productivity, retention, progression and long-term workforce planning?
• How can organisations use data, evaluation and evidence not only to prove value, but to challenge assumptions, make difficult decisions and continuously improve their programmes?

We welcome honest case studies that show how organisations have defined success, gathered credible evidence and used it to secure investment, challenge assumptions or make difficult changes.

Submission guidelines

The ISE Student Development Conference community thrives on practical collaboration, open discussion and the honest sharing of experience.

We are not looking for polished success stories that hide the difficult parts. We want sessions that examine challenges transparently, share lessons from failure and give delegates something useful to take back to their organisations.

Your submission should:

• Feature real employer experience, challenges, experimentation or lessons learned.
• Make clear what delegates will know, feel and do differently as a result of attending.
• Offer clear, practical learning and tangible takeaways.
• Bring fresh thinking or provide a genuine challenge to established practice.
• Be prepared to question assumptions and, where necessary, rip up the playbook.
• Address the realities of implementation, including resistance, constraints, unintended consequences and lessons from approaches that did not work.
• Create meaningful opportunities for delegates to participate, collaborate, debate or apply the learning.
• Avoid sales-led content or sessions designed primarily to promote a product or service.
• Include the voices and experiences of graduates, apprentices, line managers or other relevant stakeholders where appropriate.
• Explain why the content matters now and how it will help employers respond to a rapidly changing world of work.

Session delivery

We will seek a balance of delivery styles across the programme, including:

• Interactive workshops
• Facilitated discussions
• Panel sessions
• Employer case studies

Priority will be given to submissions that use interaction and collaboration purposefully, rather than relying solely on presentation.

All submissions should identify:

• The challenge or question the session will address.
• What is new, innovative or provocative about the proposed content.
• The practical experience or evidence underpinning the session.
• The intended learning outcomes.
• The tangible takeaways delegates will receive.
• How delegates will be involved in the session.

Above all, we want bold, brave, innovative and provocative sessions that challenge delegates, stimulate honest discussion and equip development professionals with practical ideas for increasingly volatile and demanding workplaces.

Please note

• There is no charge for submitting content for the conference.
• To submit an entry, you will be asked to 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.
• Closing date for entries is Friday 13 November.

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