Hollie Valler, ISE Board Director and European Early Careers Manager at Arcadis, reflects on the themes that stood out at this year’s ISE Student Recruitment Conference.
Held on Brighton’s beachfront, the ISE Student Recruitment Conference 2026 brought together early careers professionals for two days of insight, challenge and connection.
The warm, sunny weather made the setting feel even more special, although I was equally grateful for the happily air-conditioned hotel overlooking the seafront.
What stayed with me most was the sense that the early careers landscape is changing quickly, and that we need to keep challenging how we think, work and support future talent.
AI and the changing shape of work
Lisa Patel from Aon and Robbie White from Forvis Mazars set the tone in the opening keynote with a thought-provoking look at AI and the changing world of work.
I found myself reflecting on what leadership means in this context: not just how organisations use AI, but how leaders help people navigate uncertainty, change and opportunity. AI is not simply enhancing work; in many areas, it is reshaping it.
For early careers teams, that raises questions about the skills we hire for, the expectations we set, and how we prepare students and graduates for workplaces that may look very different from those we first experienced.
Generational difference
A second keynote from Bestselling author Chloe Combi explored the challenge of cross-generational management and leadership as well as how to best prepare future generations.
One provocative theme was the changing relationship some young people have with school, education and traditional routes into work. As we move further into a digital generation, work needs to meet young people where they are.
I was struck by the message that new entrants want more information, transparency and clearer expectations. They are not just looking for opportunities; they want honesty, context and confidence in their decisions.
Reality of the graduate labour market
My first breakout session, led by Prospects’ Charlie Ball, focused on the graduate labour market in 2026. I found it useful because it challenged some of the myths currently circulating.
While widespread commentary suggests that the graduate market is being cut across the board, the data told a more nuanced story.
Rather than a universal reduction, the downturn is more concentrated. For example, in areas affected by public sector cuts, such as education and local and central government. It was a timely reminder that narrative and data do not always align.
Beating reneges
The next breakout, with Unseen, explored ‘keeping the yes’ through a behavioural science approach to reducing reneges.
This was one of the most practically valuable sessions for me, connecting psychological theory with candidate engagement in a way that felt immediately relevant.
It acknowledged the anxiety students are facing, from cost-of-living pressures to wider uncertainty. With the Prime Minister having resigned that morning, the point felt particularly real. I left with practical ideas for improving the candidate experience and building loyalty.
Addressing the EDI gap
Day one closed with a review of the ISE EDI report, which left me reflecting on the gap between organisational intent and measurable impact.
Many organisations are committed to changing the dial on equality, diversity and inclusion, but there is still work to do in turning that commitment into sustained outcomes.
The key message for me was that EDI does not stop at recruitment; meaningful change requires it to be embedded throughout the employee journey.
The latest ISE report provided recommendations to improve EDI strategy.
An inspirational journey
Day two began with an inspirational keynote from Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, who spoke about her journey from an underprivileged background to becoming the first female Fire Chief.
It was so engaging that I forgot to take notes, completely absorbed in her story and the lessons behind it.
Her reflections on human behaviour in extreme moments, leadership under pressure and resilience stayed with me long after the session ended, and her book was quickly purchased for further reading.
Impactful experiences
My first breakout of the day took me into a surreal and immersive experience with Amberjack and Fourthwall, where we had to recruit staff for a mission to space.
There were teamwork, adrenaline and a few questionable hiring decisions, but it showed how immersive learning can bring development to life.
It also left me questioning how far AI can or should go in the recruitment of people.
Another standout session came from Brian Sinclair, who shared the work Aon is doing to create impactful in-person experiences for students. The focus on return on investment, and on tracking candidates from event through to offer, encouraged me to reflect on our own processes and touchpoints.
My favourite idea was a sticker card designed to encourage students to network and connect with more people: simple, human and effective.
Sobering view of the skills system
The final keynote from Huw Morris at UCL provided a fascinating and sobering view of how our skills system really works.
His overview of the growth of the tertiary education sector since 1945, including more than 120 new universities, put the current landscape into sharp context.
The limited government investment in universities, combined with the projected financial impact of declining international student numbers, was striking.
It left me feeling shocked, concerned and reflective about the wider system in which early careers recruitment operates.
Coming together
Across both days of the conference, some of the most valuable moments were during the roundtables, which created space to network, share challenges, discuss solutions and feed back to ISE on where future focus is needed.
I found these sessions powerful because they connected you with people whom you may not otherwise meet and created room for honest discussion about the hot topics shaping our sector.
The Gala Dinner provided another opportunity for us to come together, celebrating stand-out achievements at the ISE Awards. It was particularly special to see the first Early Careers Changemaker recognised, with Claire Power from Police Now receiving the award.
Overall, I left Brighton feeling inspired, challenged and energised. My biggest takeaway is that early careers recruitment is no longer just about filling roles; it is about building trust, creating transparency, responding to uncertainty and preparing young people for a world of work that is changing faster than ever.