KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Keynote

Dr Nicola Thomas Lecturer in Work Psychology

University of Sheffield

Dr Nicola Thomas is a passionate Work Psychology lecturer at the Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield Management School As the former Head of Research at the Institute of Student Employers, Nicola brings a wealth of industry experience and strong connections to her research.

Nicola is a recognized contributor to the BBC, regularly appearing on programs such as Newsnight, Woman's Hour, and BBC Radio Sheffield, sharingher expertise and insights to a wider audience.

With a PhD from the Technical University of Denmark and a post-doctorate research fellowship at the University of Liverpool, Nicola is an accomplished researcher specializing in the influence of emotions and mental health on individuals in the workplace Nicola has published in top management journals, co-authored books, and is currently working on a popular science book highlighting the importance of emotions in the age of AI.

Keynote

Dr. Doug Cole

Associate DirectorAcademic Nottingham Trent University

Doug has fifteen years ’ experience in leading and guiding learning and teaching approaches in higher education Prior to this, he spent over a decade in industry working with a range of sports organisations in the UK, Beijing, Hong Kong and Bangkok.

Doug is currently Associate Director - Academic in Employability Services at Nottingham Trent University He spent three years previously with the Higher Education Academy, focused on developing strategic approaches to learning for employability and student success with institutions across UK and globally Doug is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs.

In 2012, Doug developed the concept of a national framework and guide for embedding employability in the curriculum, to support all institutions in developing graduates with the qualities and capabilities that are vital for success, not only in securing employment, but also for life more broadly

In 2013, Doug co-authored the Higher Education Academy publication 'Defining & developing your approach to employability: A framework for higher education institutions'

Since this time, he has been testing and applying these underpinning principles in practice to help inform more strategic approaches to learning and teaching in the future.

In his spare time Doug is a local middle school governor and a governor to a college group in the Northeast of England

Free Choice On The Day

A: Practitioners vs. the machine: is our careers information and advice relevant in the age of ChatGPT?

Presenter: Miguel Rodriguez-Alcazar, University of the West of Scotland

‘The way we search for information online is about to change’ CNN Business

From career consultants to employer engagement officers, one core aspect of every HE careers professional’s mission remains the collection and provision of high-quality, accurate and up-to-date careers information and advice to clients and stakeholders. But how is this mission compromised by the exponential growth of Artificial Intelligence?

In this fun and interactive session, participants will have the opportunity to test their informational and advisory skillset against the knowledge base of the latest AI development to have shaken how humans (including university students and graduates) can search, access and digest careers information and advice: the controversial but ubiquitous ChatGPT

Practical group exercises will be followed by engaging prompts for participants to reflect upon any potential risks and benefits that AI may bring to our clients’ career development (as well as to our own professional practice), finishing with an uncomfortable but necessary interrogation: can careers services still compete with the informational wonders of AI?

B: Embedding careers, employability and start-up in teaching and learning through validation and periodic programme review

Presenter: Angela Standish, Liverpool John Moores University

In 2022, an employability section was introduced as part of Validation and Periodic Programme Review (PPR) with a focus on developing, building and evidencing the nine employability skills in LJMU’s shared framework, creating opportunities for students to undertake a meaningful work placement or work-based learning as part of their degree, and ensuring every student has an achievable onward plan.

Student Futures partnered with academic colleagues advising on mapping employability skills across the lifetime of the programme, talking through activities where students clearly recognise, evidence and articulate employability skills Careers and Employability Consultants and our Work Based Learning Consultant have helped programme teams identify subject-appropriate models of work-based learning and led on brokerage and support for initial project briefs In this session we’ll talk through the LJMU practices of acting as specialist advisors and design and delivery partners on careers, employability and start-up during the Validation and PPR process including the writing of advisory notes to Event panels and supporting plans to reality.