South Devon College hosted the fourth annual CIPD Student Conference. The conference took place on Thursday 13th February 2020 and was based in the College’s Hi Tech & Digital Centre for the first time, in the 100 seat screening suite.
The attendees included current and former CIPD students and apprentices with representatives from their employers. This resulted in a diverse range of organisations coming together in one space.
The conference, themed ‘Happiness – Creating a Positive Work Environment’, was opened with a welcome from Alison Lambert, Chair of the CIPD Devon and Cornwall Branch. Hannah Newbury, former student of South Devon College, followed this opening as the keynote speaker for the day. She shared how she has progressed in her HR career from private to public sector and then into Lecturing and PhD research at the University of Plymouth and now at Exeter University.
Kitsons were also in attendance, putting on a mock tribunal and sharing some important HR law updates. Annie Broadbent from Aterne CIC discussed the main topic of developing a positive culture in the organisation whilst Natalie Keeling from Yeo Valley shared her expertise in how to get the right people when recruiting. Joanne Wheatley from In Good Company had the final slot and discussed the importance of investing in people development and goal setting.
The conference was seen as a great benefit to all that attended and received some glowing feedback:
Chris Wright from Torbay Council said: “Excellent conference with speakers that allowed great interaction throughout. Would recommend to any HR professional and to my colleagues for networking and a chance to gauge how other companies manage their HR issues.”
If you’re looking for a career in HR or you want to develop your skills, you can study a CIPD course or HR apprenticeship at South Devon College and you could also be part of this great conference. To find out more about the courses on offer, go to their website southdevon.ac.uk. If you have any other questions, email [email protected] or call 08000 380 123.
