Northumbria University hosts HR conference promoting a “people first” approach

Northumbria University will host a Workforce Development Conference on Thursday May 12, to explore why investing in new digital technologies, team communications and health and wellbeing is “crucial to an organisation’s future”.

The free, one-day conference will include seminars with industry speakers, workshops with academic experts and sector-focused breakout sessions to provide insight and actionable guidance on how to attract, develop and sustain a “thriving workforce”.

Breakout sessions at the in-person conference will explore topics such as the future of digital and how businesses can bolster teams and raise aspirations with new digital skills initiatives; the challenges, and opportunities businesses face with health and wellbeing; and strategies on how to inspire and enable creativity and innovation at every level in a team.

Richard Hopper, business growth manager, Northumbria University, commented: “Businesses and organisations of all sizes and across all sectors are looking at ways to develop their employees in order to remain competitive and progress during a time of rapid change.

“The current economic environment presents these organisations with uncertainty and challenge, so it has never been more important to invest in the people and the workforce to ensure businesses can face these challenges head on and indeed overcome them.”

Speakers will also explore plans to boost the development of green skills in the region, in response to the growing opportunities in the offshore power, decarbonised heat and decarbonised transport sectors in the North East.

Professor Robert MacIntosh, pro vice-chancellor for the faculty of business and law at Northumbria, added: “Businesses face many challenges right now; recovering from the pandemic, the continuing impact of Brexit, the need to become more sustainable and socially responsible and of course ever-rising energy costs.

High quality leadership and management skills are crucial in such an environment, and through our Workforce Development initiative and funded programmes such as Help to Grow, we have the expertise and experience to help businesses overcome these pressures and thrive.“

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