CDI National Conference 2025: Call for workshop and case study proposals
Closing date: Monday 8th September at 5pm
18th & 19th November 2025 | The Studio, Birmingham
Introduction
We are delighted to once again host the CDI National Conference on 18th and 19th November at The Studios, Birmingham. This is a headline event in the career development calendar and is unique in bringing together professionals from all areas of the sector to learn, explore and share practice, policy and research in the UK and beyond. It is a fantastic opportunity to hear from leading thinkers, learn from the experiences of peers and build your network of like-minded professionals.
It is also an opportunity to showcase your work by submitting a proposal for a workshop or case study at the conference, sharing your approaches, successes and learning with colleagues, raising the profile of your organisation and your work and encouraging others to engage with you on your areas of interest.
 | As well as opening talks and two panel sessions, there will be three breakout sessions each day, with four options in each session;
This gives a total of 12 workshop sessions, 6 case study sessions and 6 discussion groups across the two days and we are seeking proposals to deliver workshops and take part in the case study sessions. The CDI are keen to bring together a mix of existing thought leaders and new voices within the profession who wish to share innovations in their practice, insights from new research and other aspects of their work that move career development forward. |
Career Development: Meeting the challenges of today and tomorrow
There are two broad themes for this year’s conference;
Career development's value in enabling individuals, the economy and society to thrive.
Young people and adults face a huge amount of change, presenting both challenges and opportunities. The conference explores career development's crucial role in enabling people to thrive, contribute positively to society and grow the economy. Topics include career development’s role in;
- Addressing skills shortages and meeting the workforce needs of the future.
- Helping young people into work, especially NEETs and those facing mental health challenges.
- Tackling economic inactivity among adults and especially older workers.
- Responding to changes driven by AI and net zero goals.
Enhancing professionalism to drive the value we offer as a profession.
Exploring how we can further enhance professionalism across career development; strengthening professional identity, engaging the public and ensuring the profession's recognition in key policy areas. Topics covered include;
- Examples of best practice working with young people and adults.
- How to broaden the career development workforce.
- Enhancing the recognition of sector professionalism with the public, employers and governments.
Workshop proposals
We are keen to hear from practitioners, researchers and organisations who wish to lead workshops on the topics listed above. Workshops will be 45 minutes long and should be designed to be interactive, as these work best for both attendees and workshop hosts. Therefore, workshops must include no more than 20 minutes of presentation material.
The style of workshops can vary depending on the content – such as a presentation then discussion, a panel style approach or other interactive format.
Case study proposals
Each 45-minute case study session will feature case studies from 2-3 practitioners, who will each have 10-15 minutes to share their experience then open for discussion with the audience. These are designed to facilitate the sharing of practice and experience and we are very keen to hear from practitioners who can share valuable experiences on the following topics:
- Supporting young people who are, or at risk of becoming, NEET.
- Delivering successful school or college career programmes despite limited resources.
- Working with young people and adults with additional learning needs, including disability and neurodiversity.
- Delivering career development services to employees within organisations (e.g. in large employers).
- Helping adults to remain in, or return to, work in older age.
- Using technology to enhance career practice.
Case studies can be from the public, private or third sector, across the UK and beyond. As the case study is only for 10-15 minutes, only one person can be nominated to present it.
Why submit a proposal?
.JPG) | Presenting a workshop or case study is an excellent opportunity to showcase your work, gain experience of conference speaking and raise the profile of your organisation and your work. It is also an excellent way to widen your network and engage with colleagues with similar interests. It can also be a cost-effective way of attending the conference. Successful workshop and case study proposals will receive one free ticket for the day of the conference on which they are presenting and a discounted rate for the second day’s attendance. Workshops that have two presenters will also receive a discounted rate on a second ticket for one or two days. Unfortunately we are not usually able to pay travel expenses or for time to prepare and deliver the workshops or case studies. If you face exceptional circumstances and would require such support, please let us know and we will consider it if your application is successful. |
Workshops will be selected by the organisers be based on how well the proposal meets the themes of the conference, the interactivity of the session and how it will engage the audience, as well as ensuring a balance of sessions that meet the aims of the conference. Case studies will be selected based on their relevance to the topic, the insight they can give attendees and to give a range of settings and considerations.
To submit a workshop or case study proposal please complete the form here by 5pm on Monday 8th September.
If you have any questions, please contact David Morgan at [email protected]