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Below you'll find a series of downloadable resources provided to support the CDI TechFest Digital Conference. Click the name of the session to download the presentation slide show (where available).
Day 1 - Monday 29 March 2021
Keynote 1 - Future vision for digital career development
Designing a Digital Careers Service - Louise Proctor OBE, Head of National Careers Service, Ray Plummber, Anthony Hull, Head of Digital Service and Rani Pinder Business Analyst
Louise will set out the work of the National Careers Service and how it provides an integrated careers information and advice service to citizens. Other members of the team will set out the principles that govern the digital design approach at the National Careers Service including examples of our recent work and some of our plans for the future.
Finding the balance: the future of digital career development - John Yarham, Deputy CEO of The Careers & Enterprise Company
The pandemic has greatly increased the use of digital technology across the board, and experiences have been mixed. There’s no doubt that by now we’re all tired of Zoom and Teams and looking forward to getting “back to normal”. But digital brings great benefits too, and we have a duty to ensure we continue to reap those benefits for young people as the pandemic comes to a close; that we find the right balance as we rebuild career development for the future.
Panel 1 - Digital support for learners and job seekers
Working Towards A Digital Careers Service - Sarfraz Ahmed, Careers Adviser/Writer
Traditional methods of working with students providing a face-to-face service are not possible due to the coronavirus pandemic. This presentation explores how Careers Services can sustain themselves through providing a remote service, that at the heart of it embraces technology and new ways of working to provide a successful service to the general public and student population.
Supporting Adults to transition in a turbulent Labour Market - David Coyne, Senior Policy Adviser, SDS
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is the National Skills Agency and is responsible for implementing the Government’s strategies on skills and employment, and for delivering a national careers guidance service and funding Apprenticeships. In addition, SDS provide Labour Market Intelligence on a regional and sectoral basis to facilitate skills planning. In 2019 SDS embarked on a project to develop a digital platform specifically aimed at engaging more working adults in career management and planning for job transitions. The pandemic has heightened the importance of that work and a broad platform of digital resources are under development.
Alan Crawford, Chief Digital & Information Ingeus, and tech partner David Heard, Director at Abintegro
Seminar Session 1 - Monday 29 March at 10.50-11.30 am
Careers Coaching - Effective Digital Delivery, presented by Charlotte Sykes
The world has gone digital, and so must your careers coaching. Come and learn how to deliver high quality careers coaching online, that is accessible for all. We will be exploring how to effectively and efficiently deliver support through a variety of digital mediums, ensuring you are still supporting your clients in the best way possible. We will incorporate techniques, exercises and practice that complement the digital platform. At the end of the workshop you will be confident to: • Deliver online coaching sessions using a variety of digital platforms • Using a variety of coaching techniques suitable for the online setting • Understanding of what coaching techniques are most effective for online coaching • Confidence to implement and run your digital careers coaching strategy The CWR Team have a proven track record in delivering online careers support from students to senior executives and are known for the quality of their digital coaching offering.
Engaging students through Instagram, presented by Hannah Allison and Ilinca Turcan
Lancaster University Careers Team has successfully built an Instagram page, which engages students in various innovative ways to offer careers information and advice. In this session, we will share our story – what went well, and what we have learnt, as well as providing practical tips and ideas for practitioners to use from a fellow marketing novice and careers adviser, with the help of a careers marketing assistant. This will include: • Creating a brand and gaining followers • Sharing information • Utilising engaging Instagram stories • Free, easy and useful software • Building communities • Optimising social media for your audience We understand that marketing and social media can be something that lots of careers practitioners appreciate the importance of, but struggle to know where to begin or how to create a professional brand. We want to equip you with practical next steps to take for those without a marketing background, whether your client sare young people or students in FE/HE.
Running a Digital Careers Service, presented by Ngaire Dean
Interactive session discussing the key themes and challenges of running a digital careers service. Learn how to use a digital careers platform to help you to manage, track, and evaluate your provision and report your progress against the Gatsby Benchmarks. Key topics will include running your (virtual) work experience and careers programme, booking and recording one to one meetings, collecting destination data, and providing your students with digital passports. We will cover important area around running a digital careers service: • Key things to consider when implementing a digital careers service. • Engaging staff and students with your careers service. • Setting goals and evaluating your digital provision.
Seminar Session 2 - Monday 29 March at 11.50-12.30 am
Using technology to deliver a blended approach to CEIAG and provide world class careers guidance, presented by Sophie Oulton
We’ve all had to embrace technology in our day-to-day lives and adapt to support our students. As the world (hopefully!) starts to settle once again, we need to assess what we've learned from remote teaching and what practices we can carry into the future to provide our students with world class CEIAG. This Unifrog session will explore the benefits of a blended learning approach to CEIAG; focussing on centralising and streamlining processes to achieve maximum student engagement, identifying those at risk of NEET and ensure students progress to their best next steps after school. We’ll discuss the benefits of using tech to plan, deliver and track your careers programmes and guidance interviews - using insights data from your student’s research to inform your careers programme and facilitate more informed guidance interviews. Delegates will gain key knowledge on how to implement a blended CEIAG programme to reach all students, regardless of background!
Virtual Careers Comes of Age - How to create your own virtual careers event from scratch, presented by Hilary Nickell
Career Companion Extra provides an existing online and secure careers platform packed with hundreds of professionally curated careers, learning and training resources. This Workshop will show you how to create your own unique Virtual Careers Event, from Primary through to Sixth Form or FE. Including SEND and Hospital / Home Tuition Centres. We will explore four quite different approaches used by existing schools and colleges and demonstrate the following helpful examples: • Virtual Year 9 Day • Annual ‘whole school’ Careers Fair • Higher Education and Careers Event • Virtual University and Campus Tours Finally, we will demonstrate how easy it is to maintain a Bespoke Virtual Careers presence year on year, or simply opt for a ‘One-Off’ event to suit almost any careers scenario of your own choice, including a Staff/Gatsby Day.
The Career Dr - An online course for career changers, presented by Barbara Bassot
This seminar will introduce a new online career learning and development course for people who want to change career. The course consists of short videos with accompanying practical exercises and reflective questions, all designed to help clients to understand more about themselves and to think deeply about the way forward. The course is based on the theoretical model of the Career Learning and Development Bridge and is designed to help people see their next step more clearly. Clients can do the course independently and it could also help them prepare for career guidance or coaching sessions. It also has the potential to be used in an ongoing way in a mentoring relationship. During the seminar each aspect of the course will be demonstrated with opportunities for questions and feedback.
Product Insight Talks - Monday 29th March
11am – Fledglink, Presented by Dom Cowley
Fledglink will share the results of a recent pulse survey from a selection of national employers providing up-to-date insights on the school leaver recruitment landscape as a result of the Covid-19. The survey covers three main themes to help you support students leaving education this year and next i) the 21/22 recruiting landscape ii) the hiring process iii) the future of work. We hope to see you there for an informative discussion.
11.20am – Careerpilot - an award winning, one-stop career website, Presented by Sue Lewis
Come and find out about Careerpilot. One website: all the information, tools and support, young people (11-19), teachers, parents and advisers need, to manage successful career progression - and for you to meet Gatsby.
Designed by qualified career advisers, teachers and career-leaders, the (CDI) award winning, one-stop career website has a range of zones that meet the needs of different audiences.
- A Student Zone - with all the information, tools and advice to help students explore and progress. With suggested activities for every year group, linked to age and stage (and all available as presentations or recorded video lessons - perfect for home learning, if required).
- An Adviser Zone with great materials to help Career Leaders implement Careerpilot, and meet Gatsby e.g. 5 week PHSE programmes with all the resources for every year group (G1), 23 subject resources for both KS4 and KS5 subject teachers, so they can link a curriculum topic to careers (G4), over 40 Hot Jobs, with LMI, so schools can send students and parents 'job of the week' (G2)... and lots more.
- A Parent Zone - providing parents with answers to questions parent need to know, so they can support their child and feel they have the information they need.
- A Reporting Zone - where schools/colleges can see the choices their students are interested in, download a range of reports, add adviser reports and tutor comments and add action points to a student's record. Careerpilot now includes the Pathway Planner triage model and tools, to help allocate career guidance to meet student needs at three levels (G8) - developed through a bid to the CEC, tried, tested and now ready for non-pilot schools to use.
11.40am Morrisby, Presented by Alan Teece
Embedding Gatsby and SkillsBuilder: Many schools would like to more fully embed the Gatsby benchmarks and SkillsBuilder framework outside of the Careers office. This talk will demonstrate with examples how progress can be made to engage the wider staff using the new Morrisby Tracker. The talk will also show how the Tracker can generate data that can easily be uploaded to Compass+ to reduce the admin burden.
12.00pm Launch Your Career, Presented by Yve Parker
Launch Your Career aims to enthuse, activate and engage a young person on their career journey, presenting opportunities and preparing students for their 1-2-1 career meetings with career professionals. Using relatable technology we target students in surroundings and environments that engages and inspires to encourage participation and ignite interest in their future.
Join this insight talk and experience a glimpse into the Virtual Reality journey, as well as the dashboards that collect metrics and reports to support career professionals and students build their career profile!
Day 2 - Tuesday 30 March
Keynote 2 - Artificial intelligence and careers advice
The bots are coming: AI and Social Technology - Dr Deirdre Hughes OBE, Director, CareerChat Ltd
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the impact of the pandemic are changing the meaning of “career”. Massive change is underway in how work is done, the environments in which people work and ways of finding a job that suits particular interests and needs. Contemporary career or livelihood conversations often include: where are the jobs? what’s involved in working in certain sectors or jobs? how do I easily find local trustworthy course or volunteer information? how can I set up my own business? and, most importantly, where can I go for careers support, if needed? This keynote will explore contemporary issues and introduce an innovative bot applied in a careers context.
Innovating with Labour Market Data - Lessons from Nesta and the CareerTech Challenge - Rhys Herriott, CareerTech Challenge Prize Programme Manager, Nesta Challenges
In this session, Rhys will share lessons from some of Nesta's work supporting innovation with labour market data, including the CareerTech Challenge, a £5.75m partnership with Department for Education to develop new solutions to help adults navigate a rapidly shifting labour market.
How can AI and chatbots support career development? - Kartik Sharma, Agnitio Education
Panel 2 - Digital ethics and inclusion
Inclusion in the digital sector - Jo Riches, Founder of Ayres Consulting Ltd, Life/Business Coach, Mentor & Yoga Teacher
Focussing on inclusion in the digital sector and why it’s so important, I plan to cover the following:
- An introduction to the Women Tech Network: who they are, what they do and why women in the tech space need to be a part of it!
- Having a shared purpose: why community, connection and communication is so important
How the tech sector is coming together to become more inclusive and diverse - Debbie Forster MBE, CEO Tech Talent Charter
Debbie will give an overview how organisations like the Tech Talent Charter, Tech She Can, Institute of Coding and Future Dot Now are helping tech employers come together to create a move inclusive and diverse workforce and the work they are doing in UK classrooms, in university degrees and informal training routes and how you can advise others about this.
Ethics for the Digital Careers Professional - Tom Staunton, iCeGS, The University of Derby 
Seminar Session 1 - Tuesday 30 March at 10.50-11.30 am
You’ve got mail! Delivering high quality email guidance, presented by Lynne Johnson, Leigh Fowkes and Lydia Lauder
In this interactive session we will share the best practice as well as the recent findings of a HECSU funded research project exploring the efficacy of email careers guidance. This session is aimed at careers guidance practitioners and those who are managing careers services who are looking to start or improve their experience in e-guidance. By the end of this session you will have: • Understood the evidence for e-guidance • Reflected on the challenges of best practice in e-guidance • Strategies to take away to improve your e-guidance practice.
Engaging and Inspiring Learners - Careers Guidance in Another Dimension, presented by Yve Parker
Young leaners in today’s world have grown up with computers, smartphones, the internet and social media. They are digitally native and are looking for meaningful connections, exposure to advancing technology, and a vehicle to making connections whether that be in their personal leisure time, or at school. The careers landscape is changing too, students are preparing for jobs now that don’t even exist, the gap is widening between this generation and traditional careers guidance delivery. Technologies like Virtual Reality are used in the workplace more and more, yet the classroom instruction isn’t quite catching up. This session will provide examples of fantastic engagement in career discovery using relevant technology with a focus on a personalised journey that reaches and motivates students to actively search and discover what their future can hold.
Embedding Digital Career Literacy (including Social Media) within Careers Education and Guidance, presented by John Ambrose
This lively seminar has been designed to help careers leaders and guidance practitioners gain a better understanding of the digital and technological elements that should now play an essential part in a relevant and up-to date careers programme. This seminar will: • Identify what Digital Career Literacy is and consider the importance of it in a modern careers programme • Consider how we support learners to gain skills to collect and critique careers information • Consider how we encourage learners to develop their digital networks and learn digital communication skills for 21st century working • Consider the consequences of social media use on career opportunities • Identify the importance of managing personal brands and an online presence.
Seminar Session 2 - Tuesday 30 March at 11.50-12.30 am
Digital Delivery in Wales, including Careercraft, presented by Gareth Phillips
An insight into the ways in which Careers Wales has engaged with customers through a range of digital channels throughout the pandemic.
Digital T Levels: An Overview presented by Atif Khan
NCFE Digital T-Levels, presented by Jackson Armstrong
Pearson's Digital Design, Development & Production presented by Stella Pearson
T Levels are a new option for 16-18 year olds. They are the technical equivalent of A levels and are being introduced gradually over the next few years. This session will provide detail of the three T Levels in Digital: Digital Production, Design and Development (introduced in September 2020); and Digital Support Services and Digital Business Services (to be introduced in September 2021). It will also give a general overview of T Levels for those who aren't familiar with the new courses.
#CareerDevelopment. Building Confidence in The Use of LinkedIn and Twitter as a Career Practitioner, presented by Matthew Howard & Hannah Allison
LinkedIn is a global professional networking site and Twitter is a world-leading microblogging service. Both platforms represent an invaluable opportunity for career practitioners and your clients to network with peers, alumni and employers. This interactive seminar will focus on unlocking your LinkedIn and Twitter potential, sharing case studies, top-tips and insights to help you and your clients master both platforms as career development tools. By the end of the session, you will be able to: 1. Consider how to effectively grow your social media presence and network confidently with peers, industry professionals and alumni. 2. Help your clients to develop effective profiles in support of their career aspirations. 3. Identify what makes engaging content and how to increase the reach of posts. 4. Reflect on and plan for any safeguarding or digital security questions associated with each platform.
Product Insight Talks - Tuesday 30th March
11am – Unifrog: the complete destinations platform, Presented by Sophie Oulton
Learn more about Unifrog, the centralised careers programme used by 2,500 schools and 1,000,000 students across KS3, 4, and 5. We help students explore their career interests, identify the best opportunities for them, build successful applications and centralise the planning, management and impact of your school's CEIAG and PSHE programme. In this session we'll go through the Unifrog platform, the Unifrog community of schools and how we work towards our social mission of helping every student, regardless of background, find the best next step for them!
11.20am – Xello: the Whole-School Approach to Careers, Presented by Sophie Boettcher
Do you lie awake at night worrying about how to help ALL your students? Xello is a fresh approach to preparing students for post-secondary success. You can help students of all backgrounds, abilities, and aspirations become future-ready with Xello. Attend our webinar to learn more. We’ll be sharing recent developments and unveiling some exciting forthcoming releases that benefit you. Don’t miss out!
11.40am – Qdos Careers App- free and impartial, Presented by Ruth Gilbert
Are you… students, colleagues, careers education experts, and parents, overwhelmed by how many different places you/they have to go for information? Looking for a compact source of up to date careers exploration, education routes, preparation for work and free support services? Over 250 impartial resources in one place… with work in progress on employer brokerage tools. Find out more about this, and how you can inform what’s needed next…
Page last updated 13/04/2021 15:54