This year’s Teacher and Adviser Conference was again jointly hosted by Services for Young People (SfYP) and the University of Hertfordshire. It offered a diverse and engaging programme of talks and workshops, and was a great opportunity for teachers and careers advisers to come together, share ideas, and talk about how they can best support and prepare young people for their future education, employment and training.
Kamal Ellis-Hyman’s inspirational keynote 'Reigniting Passion and Purpose: Empowering Educators to Lead with Authenticity’
Kamal Ellis-Hyman from Aim A Little Higher got the conference off to an energising start with his motivational keynote. He acknowledged how in today's fast-paced and high-pressure educational landscape, it can be easy to lose sight of the passion and mission that initially draws people to work in education. He led an interactive session about how the concept of 'Brand Thinking’ can help practitioners develop a unique approach that reflects their personal strengths and values.
This is just some of the fantastic feedback we received about the session from delegates on the day:
- "This was truly inspirational. Audience participation and engagement was 100%. Lots of great ideas to take forward within our own organisation.”
- "Brilliant and inspirational… A most inclusive (fun) and insightful session.”
- "He motivated and inspired us all to appreciate our powerful positions as educators and advisors to young people.”
- "5+++ I thought it was an excellent energising talk. Lots to consider and take back.”
After the keynote, a wide variety of workshops took place in the amazing new state-of-the-art 'Spectra’ building. Attendees could choose three of the 11 workshops on offer, allowing them to personalise the conference to align with their interests.
The ‘Widening Participation’ workshop discussed actionable strategies for supporting the aspirations of underserved students
The ‘DfE Policy for Careers for Young People Under the New Government’ workshop discussed the key themes in the updated statutory guidance
Tim Edwards, SfYP Business Development Manager said:
"A huge thank you to everyone who made the day such a success! The event was packed with powerful insights into how the careers landscape is rapidly evolving under the new government. From translating policy into real-world practice to navigating the rise of cutting-edge technologies in careers guidance utilising AI.
“Speakers tackled the pressing challenges faced by employers in offering student work placements amidst the shift to home and hybrid working, and the ongoing mission to meet the ever-changing skills demands of today’s and tomorrow’s workforce. Crucially, there was a strong focus on ensuring that the most vulnerable in our society are not left behind.
“Hertfordshire continues to lead the way nationally, proudly trailblazing best practice and leaving 'no stone unturned' in our commitment to supporting young people at every step of their journey."
Further feedback from attendees:
- "An inspiring and informative day. The opportunity to network with both education and careers professionals was invaluable. The sessions provided insights into current news and trends, future opportunities and ways to best support and inspire the young people we work with.”
- "A lovely day to summarise and continue to engage me in my work as careers leader and educator!”
- "Loved discussing so many ideas and topics we would not otherwise have time to talk about.”
For more information about the services that we offer to schools and colleges in Hertfordshire, please visit the 'Buy our services' section of the SfYP website.
