Year after year, CIPD’s annual student conference has grown increasingly popular with the student members and those considering or at the beginning of their career in the people profession. This year the conference, in March, will be held online, but in a ‘normal’ year, they were face to face events, held  around the UK – Dublin, London, Manchester, Glasgow - usually held on  university campuses.  

Working for CIPD, I was lucky enough to attend the London conference in 2018. When travelling through London early on a Saturday morning to the venue I thought back to my own student years, and wondered if I would have been up early enough on any weekend to travel to and attend a 9am event , so I was curious to see and meet this eager and committed CIPD students who exhibited more commitment and determination than I had ever been capable of.

What struck me about the delegates when I arrived was not only the enthusiasm but the diversity – in age, background, and levels of experience within the profession. The conference clearly appealed to many types of CIPD member – some saw it as an opportunity to network and make connections to help them gain employment, while others wanted to develop their knowledge and to use the valuable  content to help their studies.

The price of a student conference ticket was and remains extremely attractive – at only £15 for CIPD members - which had surely  encouraged this broader spectrum of people, together with sessions that appealed  to people at all levels. This may have been a student conference, but the quality of speakers was every bit as impressive as any of the higher priced CIPD events and the positive vibes in the auditorium were every bit the same as any of the larger events I had been to.

Although unfortunately we are unable to all meet face to face, I am looking forward to this year’s conference in March. It will feel different, but I am confident we can generate the same buzz online as we do in person. At the CIPD, we understand that the next few years will be particularly challenging for the newly qualified and under experienced members entering the profession. So, this year’s conference hopes to inspire and motivate students to continue with their ambitions within the profession with a focus on career development. Case studies, panel discussions and learning sessions will bring topics to life with expert speakers joining from a variety of different backgrounds and industries.

You can book your tickets now and join hundreds of other students like you for a Saturday full of learning, connecting and inspiration… all from the comfort of your own home. I’ll be there for sure, and with travel limited to getting out a laptop and logging on, I really hope that even the student me would have found the energy required to attend this year’s conference.

For more information about this year’s CIPD Student Conference programme and to book your place, visit https://events.cipd.co.uk/events/student-conference/cipd-student-conference-2021/