The Annual Careers Hub Conference took place on 26 February 2026. The day set out to create an opportunity for Employers, Head Teachers and Careers Leads to connect and further careers education for young people.
The conference was designed to deepen schools’ understanding of two high impact areas of careers provision: Benchmark 4: Careers in the Curriculum and Benchmark 6: Experiences of Workplaces, with a focus on Equalex – The Modern Work Experience for KS3. The aim was to help Careers Leaders not only understand the benchmarks in theory but also see what high quality delivery looks like in practice and how these approaches can be adapted to their own setting. The conference created a space for shared learning and peer insight.
Alex Warner, Education Consultant, Thames Valley Chamber
The day was an opportunity to encourage a whole-school or college approach to careers by fostering collaboration in Berkshire. It aimed to link curriculum learning to real-world careers through meaningful engagement with employers and by providing practical ideas to inspire and involve KS3 learners in work experience, helping them build confidence and develop essential skills for their future pathways.
The aim of the day was to bring everyone together and cross collaborate education and industry. Providing support to increase careers provision.
– Grace Slade, Careers and Enterprise Project Officer.
The day started with arrivals and refreshments to get everyone settled down. The first speakers included Alex Tatham (Enterprise Adviser and IT Director) who ran a presentation on the impact of AI on the future of careers and how it is changing the skills that employers are searching for. Rachel Green, of the CEC, spoke on leveraging the Careers Impact System, encouraging distributed leadership of careers and preparation for a work experience guarantee. The conference also served as a perfect opportunity to officially launch and promote The Skills and Business Hub Social Values Guide with an audience with social value at the forefront of the work they do.
Sarah Wallace, Employer Engagement Manager, The Skills and Business Hub
Jack Tame, who runs FSP’s employer experience activities said:
The speakers have given me inspiration on how to be more creative on how to engage with education providers.
After this, there was an opportunity for people to visit the various stands which gave them an opportunity to meet providers who support the Hub and local schools and colleges and to network.
Wendy Sales, Careers Leader from Bohunt Mainstream Secondary School said:
Great to network with people face to face. Makes you have belief in what you are doing.
Andy Murdoch, Head Teacher of Desborough College reflected on the event being a great event for head teachers and senior leaders to attend by saying:
“The room should be full of head teachers…Networking is crucial on days like this from the perspective of schools.”
The afternoon session was dedicated to exploring approaches to curriculum development and work‑experience activities. Participants engaged in thoughtful discussions about current practice, shared practical examples from their own settings, and exchanged ideas on how to broaden and enhance opportunities for young people. The collaborative environment supported reflection, encouraged creativity, and helped identify innovative ways to strengthen careers education across the curriculum. After this there was a further opportunity for networking, followed by an optional workshop by Resource Productions on Careers in Film and TV.
Donna Stimson, CEO of Green Skills Library said:
“The day was a great opportunity for networking… listening to someone delivering in person is really exciting.”
The workshops created touchpoints for meaningful collaboration between institutions and employers. They encouraged sharing of challenges and solutions along with thought-provoking presentations and the opportunity for delegates to network and reflect on what was discussed.
It was an incredibly successful day- lots of engagement and energy in the room and meaningful actions taken away.
– Sarah Jones, Careers and Enterprise Coordinator.
The feedback overall shows an overwhelming positivity to the content that was delivered. 81% said it was very helpful and 19% said it was somewhat helpful. Attendance totalled 73 delegates.
Face‑to‑face careers events play a crucial role in strengthening whole‑school careers provision. They offer far more than information sharing. They create a space for genuine professional learning, collaboration, and strategic development.
– Sharon Hart, Operational Hub Lead.
Berkshire Careers Hub would like to thank everybody who participated for making the day such a success.
Click here to learn more about the Berkshire Careers Hub
The Careers Hub Team
