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Elevate Equity: Harnessing young talent

Dates
Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - 09:30 to 16:30
Location
The Open University, Hub Theatre, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA

Register now


Ben Hunte
Ben Hunte

Gen-Z currently make up 20% of the workforce, a number that will continue to grow. But recruiting and retaining the right young talent has been challenging. Furthermore, employers around the UK are reporting on a mismatch between their requirements and young people’s skills and readiness for the workplace.

Young talent is the future of the workforce, so how can employers address these challenges, making sure they futureproof their organisations? What do Gen-Z employees expect from their employers? Can organisations provide young people with the tools to kickstart their career and harness their skills?

The Open University is hosting a full day of keynote speakers and panel discussions, hosted by presenter and journalist, Ben Hunte, to understand how employers can attract, develop and grow young talent. Expect insights from Gen-Z’s career expectations and values to ideas and practical advice on addressing the hybrid working and learning challenge and how to successfully grow your talent.

We look forward to welcoming you to The Open University campus. To ensure we get the most out of the day, we would appreciate you joining us for the full conference. We will provide breakfast, lunch, and refreshments, so please advise us if you have any dietary requirements.

09:00-09:30 Arrival and breakfast
09:30-10:00 Presentation talk: Coming of age during COVID followed by Q&A by Joseph Lennox
10:00-10:30 Presentation talk: Transition from education to work – a skills mismatch followed by Q&A by Lauren Mistry
10:30-11:00 Interview: Employability skills for all by Lynne Peabody
11:00-11:30 Refreshment break
11:30-12:30 Panel discussion: The hybrid working conundrum with Viren Patel, John Griffin, Kath Austin and Chris Luck
12:30-13:30 Lunch and networking
13:30-14:00 Host reflections with Ben Hunte
14:00-14:30 Presentation talk: What Gen-Z value followed by Q&A by Patrick Cantellow BEM
14:30-15:00 Presentation talk: Recruiting Gen-Z in employee-driven market followed by Q&A by Shelly Larsen-McHugh
15:00-16:00 Panel discussion: Get the best from Gen-Z and grow your own talent with Fiona Mason, Joe Porter, Mark Cameron OBE and Arainu Afeldt
16:30 Event finish
09:30-9:45 followed by Q&A

Gen-Z have come of age during unprecedented times of COVID-19. But what impact has the pandemic had on Gen-Z school and work experiences? How has this shaped the generation of new employees? What has been the mental health impact, and have Gen-Z’s expectations on employers and careers changed in the era of social media?


Speaker

Joseph Lennox

Joseph Lennox

Senior Strategy Advisor, HMRC

10:00-10:15 followed by Q&A

Employers are reporting on a mismatch in the workplace between what they need and young people’s workplace readiness. But how can employers make the onboarding process better? Where does the responsibility lie – is it with employers or with training providers? What is the role of mentoring, work experience and work-based training when a young person is transitioning from education to the workplace?


Speaker

Lauren Mistry - Deputy CEO, Youth Employment UK

Lauren Mistry

Deputy CEO, Youth Employment UK

10:30-11:00

More than one in five young people in the UK are eligible for free school meals. That's over two million young people and it’s vital that they have equitable employment and earnings potential to other young people in the UK. Lynne Peabody leads EY Foundation, an independent charity supporting young people from low-income backgrounds get paid work experience, employability skills training and career guidance. Lynne will share how the foundation brings young people and employers together to deliver opportunities in the workplace.


Speaker

Lynne Peabody - Deputy CEO, Youth Employment UK

Lynne Peabody

CEO, EY Foundation

11:30-12:30

Many employees enjoy hybrid and remote working and the benefits of digital communication, especially Gen-Z. But it makes some things difficult, especially as formative in-person experiences are important. So how can we solve the hybrid working conundrum? How can we encourage experienced colleagues to share learnings and F2F interactions?

Learning and development can be difficult to navigate in the post-Covid era, but the key is to find a balance for hybrid working and learning.


The panellists

Viren Patel - Director of Employers & Partners, The Open University

Viren Patel

Director of Employers & Partnerships, The Open University

John Griffin - L&D Lead and Early Professionals Manager, IBM

John Griffin

L&D Lead and Early Professionals Manager, IBM

Kath Austin - Chief Programme Officer, Form the Future

Kath Austin

Chief Programme Officer, Form the Future

Chris Luck CB MBE DL - Group Chief Executive, Shaw Trust

Chris Luck CB MBE DL

Group Chief Executive, Shaw Trust

14:00-14:15 followed by Q&A

Gen-Z values what everyone does: a career with purpose and direction, not just a job. They are also looking for recognition, feedback and training. Many Gen-Z employees are also socially conscious and want to work for organisations that align with their values.

What can employers learn from this?


Speaker

Patrick Cantellow BEM - Digital Marketing Manager, Knauf UK & Ireland

Patrick Cantellow BEM

Digital Marketing Manager, Knauf UK & Ireland

14:30-14:45 followed by Q&A

How can employers appeal to prospective Gen-Z employees in an employee-driven job market? What role does employer branding play in Gen-Z’s decision and what employee value proposition are organisations bringing to the table?


Speaker

Shelly Larsen-McHugh - Kickstart Lead and Learning Specialist, Manpower Group

Shelly Larsen-McHugh

Early in Careers Programme Manager, Manpower Group

15:00-16:00

Investing in your managers to get the best from Gen-Z is crucial, especially if managers haven’t had the same experiences when transitioning from school to the workplace. But outside of management, a match in values and providing the right learning and development is equally important. What are the best practices for Gen-Z retention?


The panellists

Fiona Mason - Chief Human Resources Officer, RDT

Fiona Mason

Chief Human Resources Officer, RDT

Joe Porter

Joe Porter

Lead Software Engineer, RDT

Mark Cameron OBE

Mark Cameron OBE

CEO, The 5% Club

Arainu Afeldt - Senior Head of Corporate Partnerships, The Prince’s Trust

Arainu Afeldt

Senior Head of Corporate Partnerships, The Prince’s Trust


Register now

Our Elevate Equity event will be live and you have the opportunity to attend in person or virtually. To confirm your attendance, please click the relevant button below and submit your booking form.

I would like to attend in person

If you would like to attend the event in person, please register now by completing the booking form at the link below.

Attend in person - NOW CLOSED

I would like to join virtually

If you would like to join the event virtually, please register now by completing the booking form at the link below.

Join virtually - NOW CLOSED

Getting here

The Open University, Hub Theatre, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA

Google Maps link

A campus map is available to help you navigate the campus but there will be easy to follow signage.

Directions:

By car: Please make your way to the Hub Theatre. There is ample spaces nearby in the ‘Church Parking’ and other car parks.
By train: The campus is 4 miles from Milton Keynes Central railway station, served by Avanti West Coast between Birmingham and London (Euston).
By taxi: Please ask the driver to take you direct to The Open University campus – Walton Hall.

More travel detail can be found here.


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