Collaboration is key to retaining university talent and supporting the East Midlands economy. That was the focus of this year’s Power of Partnerships conference, delivered by the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Derby. Around 70 delegates from higher education, employers and regional organisations came together for an afternoon of workshops, networking and discussion on how we can create more opportunities for students and graduates to build their careers in the region.
We were delighted to welcome Fliss Miller, Director of Skills and Employment at the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), as our keynote speaker.
Fliss highlighted the challenges facing employers as rising employment costs make it harder to create entry-level opportunities. She also shared the scale of the challenge across
the East Midlands, where around 60,000 more people need to be in work to meet the region’s employment ambitions and too many young people remain outside education, employment or training. Her message was a positive one: by working together, universities, employers and regional partners can create better pathways into good jobs and make a lasting difference to people’s lives.
That spirit of collaboration is at the heart of the Power of Partnerships conference. Through the partnership between the region’s three Universities, we continue to connect employers, educators and regional stakeholders to share ideas, strengthen relationships and support graduate retention for the benefit of our region.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to another successful event.