Career Guidance and Development CPD Conference Scotland - Wednesday 29 January 2020

We will be hosting the Career Guidance and Development CPD Conference Scotland at UWS next week, and as ever have been focusing on accessibility, inclusion and thoughtful design as we plan and deliver this new format conference.

The event builds on and amalgamates the CDI Student Conference Scotland with the UWS/ENU/SDS Research Symposium and in addition offers a broad CPD opportunity for selected practitioners in the sector in Scotland.

This conference is designed to highlight the latest developments in the sector and is presented by a range of expert keynote speakers and workshop presenters all of whom are leaders in their field. The keynotes and workshops are focused on issues of equality, diversity and inclusion in the careers sector. The final version of the conference programme is available here (note that workshop rooms will be advised on the day).

Our audience will be students undertaking postgraduate studies in career guidance and development in Scotland, selected staff from Skills Development Scotland and invited guests from across the careers sector in Scotland. The event is free for delegates to attend. 

We could easily have filled this event twice over, and have accommodated as many invited guests as possible. But as a pilot, please do not be offended if you were not invited or your organisation was offered limited spaces and please do access the keynote and workshop presentations which are publicly available (see link below). We hope to be able to replicate this event in future years, with an even larger in-person audience.

Our aim here at UWS has been to host a sustainable conference. Delegates are encouraged to bring reusable water bottles (water stations available) and to have a copy of the conference programme on a mobile device. The final version of the conference programme is available here.

Our partners from the CDI will be bringing packs for delegates, but otherwise handouts will not be used. Electronic copies of presentations are available via the CDI website if for accessibility delegates wish to download in advance [link].

I will be delivering two workshops on the day:

Dementia in the Workplace: the implications for career development practice (with Dr Louise Ritchie, Lecturer in Dementia (Research), Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice, University of the West of Scotland)

Dementia is, and will increasingly be, a workplace issue. At present, many individuals leave the workplace before, or on receipt of, a diagnosis of dementia. More attention needs to be given to supporting employees with dementia to either remain in work or exit the workplace, and career development practice has a key role in this. We consider the role of careers practitioners in the development and implementation of coping strategies to aid the continued employment of persons with dementia. When continued employment is not possible, the role of careers practitioners in the range of decisions, which extend beyond the cessation of work, is considered.

Domestic abuse and career guidance practice (I will be joined by one of our current students who has provided research support for this project whilst on placement with the CGD team at UWS)

‘Building Equality’, a project run by Scottish Women’s Aid, worked to challenge economic discrimination and develop effective models to improve and protect the economic independence of women experiencing domestic abuse. The learning from this is now being used to develop best practice approaches for clients experiencing domestic abuse.  The workshop will enable career professionals to challenge their own perceptions, understand how domestic abuse affects an individual’s career decision-making and develop new competencies in how they can manage their own practice when working with clients in this group.

On behalf of all partners involved in bringing this event to fruition, I hope everyone enjoys the day and finds it an enriching and engaging CPD event.