Future Ready: Employer Conference on Meaningful Work Experience, led by the West of England Careers Hub

Meaningful Work Experience. Big Impact. A stronger future through employer-school partnerships.

With the Government’s drive to expand meaningful work experience for secondary students, the West of England Careers Hub will support employers in meeting new requirements and building stronger partnerships with schools and colleges. By attending, you will gain practical guidance to deliver high quality placements, strengthen local relationships and make a lasting impact on young people’s career development.

Whether you are new to work experience or looking to enhance your programme, this conference offers expert insights, practical strategies and networking, showcasing different models to create richer, more meaningful opportunities for young people and strengthen your talent pipeline.

As an employer, you will:

• Gain a clear understanding of the Government’s ambition and what meaningful, modern work experience looks like in practice.
• Build confidence to design placements, encounters, and partnerships that align with the new requirements.
• Learn from best practice examples and explore innovative approaches to delivering high-quality work experience.
• Discover how to work effectively with schools and colleges to strengthen careers programmes and widen opportunities.

Keynote Speakers :

Helen Godwin - West of England Mayor

Helen Godwin is the Mayor of the West of England. Elected in May 2025, she has started a new chapter for the region. Helen was born in the West, grew up here, is raising her family here, and has worked as a local councillor and in business. She’s committed to bringing people together to get things done, across Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, and South Gloucestershire, working with North Somerset and the national government. 

John Yarham - CEO of The Careers and Enterprise Company

John Yarham is the Chief Executive of The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) – the national body established by government to help link schools and colleges with employers and improve young people’s career opportunities. Previously Deputy CEO, he also serves as Chair of the Skills Committee at the University of Derby and has held a wide range of governance roles, including trustee and non-executive positions across primary and secondary education and Careers England .

Choose from 3 of the following workshops running throughout the day and we will try our best to accommodate your choices:

Workshop 1 – The Employer Standards led by the Careers and Enterprise Company and Ian Browne Lloyds Banking Group

This workshop will introduce the Employer Standards and demonstrate how they can help employers maximise their education engagement. You will gain practical tools to deliver impactful work experience, develop young people’s skills, enhance your organisation’s profile and build lasting partnerships with schools and colleges.

Workshop 2 - Designing Meaningful Work Experience from Placement to Impact led by Peter Gaul CEO Belonging Schools

In this workshop, employers will discover how to create meaningful work experience that truly benefits young people. You will learn how to design placements that develop practical skills, enhance career readiness, and tie in with the school and college curriculum, through practical examples and interactive activities.

Workshop 3 - Unlocking the Benefits of Social Value led by Sarah Lambshead Atkins Realis

This hands-on session will show employers how to create meaningful opportunities that benefit schools and colleges ,build partnerships and develop an engagement strategy that delivers real impact and social value.

Workshop 4 - Breaking Barriers – Engaging a Diverse Range of Young People led by Rebecca Scott University of Bristol

This interactive session will equip employers to engage effectively with students from diverse backgrounds, including those with SEND, socio-economic disadvantages and other barriers to education and employment. Participants will gain practical strategies and tools to create inclusive opportunities, build strong partnerships and make employer engagement more impactful and accessible.

Workshop 5 - Engaging over the Long Term led by Laura Ashman COWI

This session will show employers how to build sustainable school partnerships, plan and evaluate employer-led activities, and deliver measurable impact for students and their organisation.

Please note: There is plenty of free parking at this venue.