Futures and Career Leaders' Conference - Tuesday 16 June 2026 (ISH Venues, London)

This conference is for: Heads of Careers, Directors of Futures, staff advising students on careers and pathways

Description

This conference aims to: Focus on the key issues for those advising students on careers and pathways and to provide an opportunity to network and share good practice. 

Thank you to our sponsor: Venatour

Time

Session

09:30 – 10.00

Arrival, registration, and coffee

10.00 – 10.10

Welcome and introduction    

Speaker:  Keri Moorhouse, HMC Education Officer

 

10.10 – 11.05

 

Session 1: The Graduate landscape and the world of work

This thought-led interactive session will explore:

  • what employers are genuinely prioritising now
  • the behaviours and signals employers are increasingly screening for
  • how hiring processes and employer expectations may continue evolving over the next few years
  • how schools can help students communicate capability beyond grades

 

Speaker: Bella Eccles, Founder, Tinker Tailor & Jess Woodward-Jones, Co-Founder, Vizzy

 

 

A word from our sponsor:

 

11.05 – 11.15

Refreshment break

11.15 – 12.05

Session 2:  Is university worth it?

This session will consider how schools work with young people to evaluate whether university is cost effective.


Speaker: Sarra Jenkins, Director of Future Pathways & Politics Teacher, Loughborough Grammar school

 

12.05 – 13.00

Session 3: Panel Session: Ensuring meaningful work experience

This panel session will explore how schools’ careers services embed work experiences into the curriculum and how they ensure placements are meaningful developing employability skills for young people

 

Please contact pd@hmc.org.uk if you wish to contribute to this session.

 

Panel Chair: Rachael Pearson, Head of Careers and Progression, Oakham School

13.00 – 13.45

Lunch

13.45 – 14.45

Networking and sharing best practice 

Delegates will have the opportunity to share best practice with peers and are invited to submit topics for discussion. Some early topics are:

 

  • Working with alumni  - how we use alumni in our schools
  • Entrepreneurship in the curriculum/skills in the curriculum e.g. working with the co-curricular; academic deputy

 

  • Futures marketing in your schools

 

14.45 – 14.55

Refreshment break

14.55 – 15.55

Session 4:  From Prompts to Prospects: Using AI in Your Career Journey
This session will explore how young people can use generative AI to support their career development in practical, responsible, and future-focused ways. Through live demos of different AI platforms, attendees will see how these tools can be used across the job search journey, including for CVs, cover letters, interview preparation, and assessment centres. The session will also unpack the growing importance of AI literacy, what employers may expect from candidates in the years ahead, and the key signals shaping the future of AI and work in 2026 and beyond.

 

Speaker: Danny Mirza, Careers and Experience Manager – CES London

15.55 – 16.00

Closing remarks and depart