Hartpury College welcomed students, employers and educators to the Business West Hartpury Skills and Careers Fest 26 on 2 June, a large-scale skills and careers event designed to connect students, employers and educators to support future workforce development.
Delivered in partnership with Business West, the event brought together organisations from a wide range of sectors to help students explore career pathways, gain valuable industry insight and better understand the opportunities available within their chosen fields.
The Business West Hartpury Skills and Careers Fest 26 forms part of Hartpury’s ongoing commitment to supporting students' career ambitions while strengthening links between education and industry. It also supports the ambitions of the Gloucestershire Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), helping to ensure skills development aligns with the needs of employers and the wider economy.
Opening the event, Hartpury College Principal Claire Whitworth highlighted the importance of collaboration in preparing young people for future careers.
She said: "Today is all about connection - connecting our students with employers, educators with industry, and ambition with opportunity. This event highlights the vital link between the skills our young people are developing and the careers that await them, not just here in Gloucestershire, but beyond.
"At Hartpury, we are proud of our specialist areas and the way we support students in developing expertise, exploring career options and gaining real insight into their chosen industries. Our partnership with Business West and our shared commitment to the Gloucestershire Local Skills Improvement Plan is helping create meaningful collaboration between education and industry.
"Together, we are helping employers shape the future workforce through curriculum co-creation, while ensuring students understand the opportunities available to them. Ultimately, events like this are about building Gloucestershire's future workforce, one that is skilled, confident and ready to thrive."
During his remarks, Matt Tudge, Head of Skills Planning from Business West further highlighted the strong and long-standing collaboration with Hartpury College, working together in support of meeting the current, emerging and future skills needs for Gloucestershire and beyond.
The day began with inspirational speaker sessions, of which first year college students attended at least one. These were delivered by:
· Melissa Potente Porter – Coach for Business Owners: A woman in a man’s world
· John Lannon (teaching staff): Starting your own business
· Rubem Barbosa Hughes – Cambridge University Press: When life doesn’t give you the easy route
· Craig Knowles – i2i Recruitment: How to brand yourself
· Dan Burner Coaching: Resilience and embracing change
Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to engage directly with employers, industry professionals and education partners, gaining first-hand insight into skills requirements, career routes and emerging opportunities across a range of sectors.
The event also showcased the growing importance of T Levels and industry placements in supporting workforce development. Representatives from Hartpury's T Levels team were available to discuss how employers can support students through industry placements and benefit from engaging with emerging talent.
A series of Industry Curriculum Co-creation sector meetings also took place, bringing together educators and employers from across Hartpury’s specialist subject areas. These sessions provided an opportunity for industry partners to share emerging trends, workforce requirements and skills priorities directly with curriculum teams, helping to inform curriculum planning and development for the next academic year.
The meetings formed part of Hartpury’s ongoing commitment to ensuring its programmes remain relevant, responsive and aligned with industry needs. By working collaboratively with employers, Hartpury can continue to equip students with the knowledge, skills and experiences required to succeed in an evolving workforce, while supporting employers in shaping the talent pipeline of the future.
As Hartpury continues to work alongside Business West, employers and industry partners, initiatives such as the Business West Hartpury Skills and Careers Fest 26 play an important role in creating opportunities for students, strengthening collaboration between education and industry, and supporting the long-term skills needs of Gloucestershire and beyond.
