New Heights: Reimagining Work Experience with Springpod and the RAF

This session gives career leaders a live demo of the Springpod platform through the lens of a real RAF partnership, showing how virtual experiences are designed, delivered, and mapped to measurable outcomes for young people. You'll see the latest innovations in content and format, hear how impact is tracked and reported (including against Gatsby Benchmarks), and leave with practical ideas for embedding virtual experience into your own careers programme.

Speakers

Wing Commander Paul Buxton MBA MA FCILT MAPM RAF

Paul joined the RAF as a Movements Controller before commissioning as a Logistics Officer in 2000. Throughout his career, he worked in a number of diverse areas including operational planning, career management, training, capability development and programme management. Highlights included tours on the Army’s elite 16 Air Assault Brigade, developing contingency plans for the Department for Energy and taking part in humanitarian relief operations worldwide. He spent around a third of his career working overseas, including assignments to Calgary and San Francisco and operational deployments to Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands, Bosnia and Afghanistan. Paul retired from the RAF at the end of 2022 at which time, as a Group Captain, he was the senior Logistics advisor to the RAF’s leadership team. After spending 2½ years in industry, as logistics lead for a global mining project and a senior manager at a data driven consultancy, he rejoined the RAF as a Reservist, where he is responsible for identifying and delivering new & novel short-term engagement opportunities for students and young people. In his spare time, Paul volunteers with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and enjoys participating in a number of sports, including karate, cycling and snowboarding.

Wing Commander Hayley Marsden BA MA Chartered MCIPD RAF

Upon completion of a bachelor’s degree in English and Sociology, Marsden joined the Royal Air Force and graduated from Initial Officer Training in 2009. Her first post at RAF Leeming as Station Adjutant was followed by two tours at Marham – one being responsible for Station Force Development activity and the other as the Station Commander’s Administrative Staff Officer.

After a deployment to the Falkland Islands and tours in Service Discipline and the Service Complaints Team, Marsden was chosen to become Aide de Camp to the Deputy Commander of NATO’s Allied Air Command and moved to Germany in July 2016. Responsible for all aspects of the Principal’s engagements and travel, she had the privilege of visiting most of the NATO nations numerous times. During this time Marsden was promoted to Squadron Leader and obtained an MA in Human Resource Management which focussed on office politics and incivility the RAF. In 2019, she deployed to Al Udeid, coordinating and guiding all A1 activity in the Broader Middle East.

Upon return to the UK in July 2020, she assumed command of RAF Wittering’s Personnel Management Squadron and led her team through the transition to the new HR Operating Model, culminating in a role-change to Officer Commanding Service Discipline and Personal Support. From here, in April 2022 Marsden joined the UK’s Defence Academy and was responsible for the oversight of Defence Attaché and Embassy Support Staff training and preparation, where she ensured the professional effectiveness and operational readiness of the Global Defence Network of Defence Diplomats. During this time, she was also force generated at very short notice for a 6-month detachment to PJHQ’s J2 Division, working with the UK’s intelligence agencies and responsible to Commander Joint Operations for the delivery of a politically directed capability in support of Operation SCORPIUS.

In August 2024 she was offered an assignment to join A1 Ops, responsible for the workforce planning and generation in support of the RAF’s short notice UK-based and deployed operations. Very soon after this she was offered promotion to Wing Commander and a move to RAF Leeming as Officer Commanding Support Wing where she commanded a Wing of 235 personnel responsible for all aspects of supporting and enabling flying, exercises and world-wide high-readiness team deployments, as well as delivering all real life support for the Whole Force and Service families living and working at RAF Leeming. Concurrently she achieved a second MA, this time in International Relations and War, receiving a distinction from King’s College London.

Marsden’s interests include open water swimming, photography, creative writing and a new-found love of hiking and cross-fit. Particular areas of academic interest include strategic culture, traumatic memory, and the role of emotion in the cause of war.

Jo Bishop, Senior Schools and Outreach Lead for Springpod

With over 25 years' experience as a careers adviser, Jo has supported thousands of students through their transition from school or college into university, apprenticeships and employment. She has built and managed successful employer partnerships, creating activities that help young people explore career pathways with confidence.

Jo is currently Senior Schools and Colleges Outreach Lead at Springpod, an innovative careers platform giving students across the UK access to impactful virtual work experience and university insight programmes. She leads school and college outreach and engagement, including driving adoption of Springpod's new Educator Portal among career leaders, and building school and college partnerships.  Drawing on her background as a careers adviser, Jo also advises internally on careers strategy, bringing first-hand insight into what's happening in schools and colleges to shape and inform Springpod's programmes, acting as a voice for careers professionals within the business.

Her focus has always been on designing meaningful experiences that both inform students' choices and strengthen their applications to university and apprenticeships. She is a strong advocate for widening access to opportunity, working to make admissions fairer for all young people whether they're heading into higher education or the world of work.

This session supports the following CPD competency:

•     Career-Related Learning