ASET Annual Conference 2019
#ASET19

Supporting Students in Times of Change
The Placement and Employability Professionals’ Conference
3rd – 5th September, University of Hertfordshire, De Havilland Campus

Conference booking is open:

2019 ASET Conference Delegate Guide
We look forward to welcoming you to conference. Make sure you are well prepared by downloading the 2019 ASET Conference Delegate Guide, with info on what to expect, how to get there, what to bring, who to look out for – essential contact numbers and some top tips for first time attendees.

Conference Partner

Our Sponsors

Our Conferences are renowned for being participatory and providing delegates with many opportunities to find out about new initiatives, projects and good practice, and this year will be no exception. Conference 2019 will consider our role in Supporting Students in Times of Change, and we have invited speakers with experience of supporting in students in innovative ways.

Our Speakers this year are:
Tuesday 3^rd
Dr Charlie Ball, Head of Higher Education Intelligence at Graduate Prospects
Charlie will update us with the latest info relating to graduate employment – ‘What do graduates do?’


Dr Alice Diver, Senior Lecturer in Law at Liverpool John Moores University
Alice is editor of the recently published Employability via Higher Education: Sustainability as Scholarship. Her keynote: Supporting students: Aiding Employability, Avoiding Litigation, will consider recent legal issues affecting HE.

Wednesday 4^th
Ben Walker, Senior Lecturer in Academic Development, Manchester Metropolitan University and Vice-Chair of UKAT (UK Advising and Tutoring)
Ben is co-author of the highly regarded Effective Personal Tutoring in Higher Education and his keynote  ‘More important than ever and yet impossible to deliver?
Tackling the Advising and Tutoring conundrum with placement students’ will consider important aspects of tutoring in relation to placement students.

Thursday 5^th
Alan Keegan, Director of Business Development (UK Partnerships), University of Central Lancashire
In his keynote ‘Jammin’ it up’, Alan will discuss transitioning from ‘student’ to ‘employee’ in the new creative digital world and how the award-nominated concept, cJAM which allows students to pitch to professionals to win work placements, continues to develop.

All four speakers will provide a platform for discussion throughout conference on the theme of Supporting Students in Times of Change.  We will also have updates from ASET on the pressing issues you need to know about, with a focus on:

• Delivering quality services to students amid funding changes
• Making the most of technology to adapt to changes in work and placement opportunities
• Discussing student support needs on placement
• Thinking about the changing market of students and employers
• Empowering students to make the most of innovative opportunities
• Making change work for you, being positive
• Being bold and brave

To help you plan your conference you can now download the following:
Conference Programme
Parallel Session Timetable
Parallel Session Abstracts

Conference Programme
Day 1 – Tuesday 3^rd September
08:00 – 09:00  Breakfast (Monday night delegates only)
10:00 – 11:00  Registration and refreshments
11:00 – 11:15  ASET Welcome
11:15 – 11:30  Opening Address: University of Hertfordshire
11:30 – 12:15  Keynote: Dr Charlie Ball, Graduate Prospects,‘What do Graduates do?’
12:15 – 12:45  ASET AGM
12:45 – 13:30  Parallel Session 1 – Regional Hub Meetings
13:30 – 14:30  Lunch
14:30 – 15:00  Keynote: Dr Alice Diver, Liverpool John Moores University,
‘ Supporting students: Aiding Employability, Avoiding Litigation’
15:00 – 15:45  ASET Bursary Projects
Student Research Bursary Presentation
Summer Project Bursary Presentation
15:45 – 16:00  Refreshment break
16:00 – 17:00  Parallel Session 2  (Parallel Session Abstracts)
18:30                Drinks Reception
19:30                BBQ, The Oval, College Lane Campus

Day 2 – Wednesday 4^th September
08:00 – 09:00  Breakfast
09:00 – 9:15   Registration for day delegates
09:15 – 9:45   ASET On…
09:45 – 10:45  Parallel Session 3 (Parallel Session Abstracts)
10:45 – 11:00  Refreshment break
11:00 – 12:00  Parallel Session 4 (Parallel Session Abstracts)
12:00 – 12:45  Keynote: Ben Walker, Manchester Metropolitan University,
‘More important than ever and yet impossible to deliver?
Tackling the Advising and Tutoring conundrum with placement students’
12:45 – 13:45  Lunch
13:45 – 14:45  Panel Session Chaired by RateMyPlacement : Student perspectives on the support we give
14:45 – 15:30  Professional Development Tasters: Choose from 1 of 4 options
15:30 – 16:15  Professional Development Tasters: Choose from 1 of 4 options
16:15 –             ASET Practice & Research Network Meeting/ Free time
18:30               Drinks Reception
19:30               Gala Dinner, the Forum, College Lane Campus

Day 3 – Thursday 5^th September
08:00 – 09:00  Breakfast
09:00 – 09:30  Day registration / Time available for checking out and baggage store
09:30 – 10:30  Parallel Session 5 (Parallel Session Abstracts)
10:30 – 11:00  Refreshment break
11:00 – 12:00  Parallel Session 6 (Parallel Session Abstracts)
12:00 – 12:45  Keynote: Alan Keegan, University of Central Lancashire, ‘Jammin’ it up’
12:45 – 13:00  Conference Wrap-up & Close
13:00               Packed Lunch and depart

Please note:  The programme and/or individual parallel sessions may be subject to change at short notice

Last Year’s Event
ASET Annual Conference 2018

The Placement and Employability Professionals’ Conference
4th -6th September 2018, University of Nottingham
Future-proofing placements : celebrating success and inspiring innovation

The 25th ASET Annual Conference, welcomed more than 170 delegates to University of Nottingham, Jubilee Campus. See brochure here.  Our membership were as generous as ever in sharing the good practice that goes on in their institutions, a fact that was remarked on by the many delegates who joined us for their first ever ASET conference. Conference saw the release of two new Viewpoints, on troubleshooting and crisis management, and through the offer of five professional development taster sessions  conference sent our delegates into the new academic year feeling more informed, confident and energetic!

Conference opened with a University of Nottingham welcome from Dr Paul Greatrix, Registrar, followed by Keynotes from Jane McNeil, Executive Dean for Learning and Teaching, Nottingham Trent University, reminding us all that the future doesn’t get done to us: we help to make it.  Lizzie Brock and Amirah Hajat from our partners at RMP Enterprise gave us exclusive insights into what students are really thinking and feeling,  taking us into our ASET Bursary Project Presentations  presented to a packed auditorium. Congratulations to both students for excellent work.

The day concluded with Parallel sessions, and delegates reflected to on the issues raised in their Regional Hub groups, led by ASET trustees.

Day two began with our ASET on.. the Future of Work, with ASET Chair Sarah Flynn looking at the rapidly changing world of work, including reflections from ASET’s newest Trustees about what work was like when they first were employed, to how different they might imagine it to be when their young children enter the workforce. A keynote from Lisa Gray at Jisc, looked at digital skills for tomorrow’s world and our regular panel session opened the conversation to an amazing group of students sharing their experiences with work-based learning.

Maddy Woodman and Jordan Funk, Henley Business School, drew conference to a close on Day 3 with a lively and engaging presentation giving us all the start to the new academic year we needed. Thank you to all our speakers and guests. And thank you too to ASET Trustees helping to ensure your ASET conference continues to be unmissable.

Proceedings form the 2018 ASET Annual Conference are now available to download .