National Research Conference

The National Research Conference for Careers Practitioners will bring together practitioners and researchers from across careers and employability to explore how connecting innovation and diversity can strengthen career development practice across different settings, communities, and groups. The conference will showcase how collaboration between practitioners and researchers generates new insights, challenges established thinking, and supports more inclusive and effective approaches to careers work.

Through a range of expert keynotes, panel discussions, interactive parallel sessions, and a research poster fair, attendees will engage with research and practice that reflects the diversity of the people, places, and contexts that shape career development. The programme will highlight innovative approaches to supporting different groups and demonstrate how evidence can be used to address emerging opportunities and challenges across the sector. By bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise, we will explore how innovation can be fostered across settings and how a broader range of voices and experiences can contribute to a richer and more representative evidence base.

Delivered free of charge, the conference is open to all those working in careers and employability, as well as anyone with an interest in career development research and practice. Whether you are actively conducting research, applying evidence in your daily work, or looking to develop your understanding of research-informed practice, the event will offer valuable opportunities for learning, discussion, and collaboration. This conference will celebrate the important role that practitioners play in generating knowledge, testing new ideas, and contributing evidence from their own settings and experiences.

We welcome submissions and participation from across the sector and encourage attendees to share their work, explore diverse approaches, and be inspired by innovative practice that can make a difference for a wide range of individuals and communities. We encourage participants from all backgrounds, settings, and levels of research experience, and look forward to creating an inclusive environment where practitioners and researchers can connect, collaborate, and contribute to the future development of careers practice.