About

The UK faces a growing misalignment between the skills graduates leave university with and the capabilities businesses urgently need. With automation, AI, and demographic shifts reshaping entry-level roles, organisations are struggling to source talent equipped with both technical expertise and the human skills of resilience, empathy, and curiosity.

This breakfast session will examine how business leaders can bridge the divide, from reimagining graduate programmes to accelerated learning pathways and building pipelines in technical fields where demand outstrips supply. We’ll also explore how to meet employees’ evolving expectations for faster career development and greater transparency in reward and progression, while balancing organisational constraints.

Our panel will consist of Phil Beach CBE, Former Chief Executive and now Chairman of Energy & Utility Skills, Steve Saville, an experienced HR leader at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence and Ruchika Karakoti, former Head of HR at Capita, who will all share practical insight on how organisations can strategically reshape their approach to talent.

The conversation will be chaired by Alastair Procter, SVP, Strategic HR Operations at IPG MediaBrands UK.