This annual collaborative conference was delivered by the Career Development Institute, Graduate Futures Institute, University of Derby and NICEC on Wednesday 18 February 2026.
To support you further with ideas for your research we are sharing some speaker presentations and research posters below.
We are grateful to our speakers for kindly sharing their presentations and videos (only content approved for sharing is listed below).
Keynote
Dr Emma Bolger (Freelance Careers Expert): View presentation | Watch video
Panel 1: Routes to publication
Chair: Joanne Caldwell (School Business Manager, University of Salford)
Oliver Jenkin (Senior Professional Development and Standards Manager, CDI), Fiona Christie (Senior lecturer and Careers professional, Manchester Metropolitan University), Rish Baruah (Careers Consultant, University of Stirling)
Panel 2: Achieving impact with your research
Chair: Chris Webb (Career Consultant, Freelance Writer and Podcaster)
Michele Palmer (Placements and Employability Manager, University of the Arts London), Antony Adams (Creator of the Career Blueprint), Sarah McLusky (Research Events Consultant, Sarah McLusky Ltd)
Seminar speakers
Valerie Rowles, Gemma Smith, Natalie Freeman & Stephanie Kenyon - How do you turn a dissertation into an award‑worthy submission?
View presentation | View video
Simon Abbott & Dr Clare Tyrer - Collage and conversations: Developing a creative methodology
View presentation | View video
Jo Ellard - Playing the game: Why some students don’t engage and what practitioners can do
View presentation | Watch video
Francesca Harvey - Such a difficult conversation to have: Exploring the perceived impact of perinatal baby loss on women's careers
View presentation | Watch video
Huyen Le & Ghiwa Dandach - Exploring collaborative pedagogies in employability: An action research study of careers, academics, students and employers partnership
View presentation | Watch video
Jacqui Hutchinson - Building our futures: Embedding evidence‑informed careers learning in primary education through strategic employer engagement
View presentation | View video
Lindsay Parker - The employer perspectives project: Supporting PhDs to explore careers beyond academia
View presentation | View video
Elizabeth Phillips-Rennie - Careers impact in focus: Learning from national system reviews
View presentation | View video
Sarra Jenkins - Innovating quantitative practice: The Diamond 9 Model
Please find the entries for this year's research poster competition here.
