Description:
Through a range of keynote speakers, workshops and panel discussions the East Midlands Chamber presents its 2025 conference. Focusing on the key areas that will enable economic growth, through the targeting skills reform, improved recruitment and retention, and how to develop sustainable interventions that support better business engagement with educators.
We will then explore the East Midlands business approach to equality, diversity and inclusion, this will focus on research undertaken by the Chamber and EMH Group, which took place in 2024, following a similar study the year before. This conference explores how we best support businesses in their Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) journey in creating more inclusive and successful workplaces, businesses and those that support them.
Overview:
* Department for Education – Skills England and Get Britain Working (tbc)
* Local Skills Improvement Plans : The future and what they mean for business – Dr Gareth Thomas and Harsh Shah, Data Analytics Manager, East Midlands Chamber
* Rethinking Young People’s Careers in a Changing Workforce – Eva Selenko, Professor in Work Psychology and the Head or the Work and Organisation Group, Loughborough University: Do young people have different career-values? What attracts young people to work in an organisation and how can we assure that they stay?
Panel: Recruitment, retention, productivity and government policy:
* Professor Eva Selenko, Loughborough University
* Eileen Perry MBE DL, Managing Director ER Recruitment
* Carol Dixon, Director of Employer Partnerships, Derby College
* Zoe Cooper, HR Manager, Pentaxia
– Supporting businesses in their EDI journey – example of best practice in creating more inclusive and successful workplaces – West Notts College and Capita
Panel: EDI
* Veronica Moore – Director of Student Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Loughborough University
* Joanne Tilley, Executive Director – Corporate Services, emh
* Louise Dakin, SEND Employability Manager,West Notts College
* Claire Knee, Global Community & Social Impact Lead and Jonny Maberely, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Apprentice, Ideagen
Workshops:
* Employment Law Update feeding into recruitment & retention strategies – Freeths
* Embracing & supporting those with congenital, acquired & episodic visible differences – Gary Parsons
* Funded recruitment and in-work support – Working Well East Midlands
* Accessible Marketing: Inclusive Communication for Recruitment and Retention – Tania Gerard Digital
* Improving recruitment and retention of Future Talent – Loughborough University
* How business can help shape skills development – Pro Excellence Partnership.
