Taking place at the Luton campus on Tuesday 4^th October (3–6pm), the event will reveal a number of little-known professional development opportunities available to the region’s public, private and third sector organisations through the University’s new ‘Recruit, Retain & Develop’ initiative.

With the rising cost of living in the UK impacting the economy – particularly small businesses – the Research & Innovation Service will reveal how employers from all industry sectors can access government funding to cover at least 95% of their training costs, to help them keep and develop their existing workforce, ultimately minimising wage costs while improving their overall value.

Professor Andrew Church, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation, said: “Having been listed tenth in the UK for delivering CPD for businesses, the University of Bedfordshire is committed to addressing both local and national skills shortages, helping cross-sector employers of all sizes to add value to their business by enhancing their ability to recruit and retain skilled employees.

“Professional development initiatives, such as our new ‘Recruit, Retain & Develop’ initiative, are a low cost, high value way for all levels of staff to keep learning about their job, gain new skills and qualifications, and stay up to date with industry trends.”

At the free event on the 4^th October there will be a number of sessions led by keynote speakers from the University, as well as guests from the local business community – including Paul McLaughlin from East London NHS Foundation Trust, Alex Mortimer of Uniserve & Supply Chain Academy, Freddie Alston from BC Data Management Ltd and Martin Stein of Luton Council.

Topics discussed in these sessions will cover:

• Solving the skills shortage and enhancing employability opportunities in the region
• Outlining current and future demands for leadership, management and digital skills
• Availability of and access to government funding, which can cover at least 95% of a business’ training costs
• How to retain key staff for up to four years longer and how to upskill new and current employees for as little as £300 per year
• Challenges that organisations are facing in developing 'in-house' expertise and how to combat this

Councillor Aslam Khan, Luton Council’s portfolio holder for skills and employability and a University of Bedfordshire governor, said: “As part of our aim to ensure nobody in Luton is living in poverty by 2040, we are striving to ensure residents can access the education, skills and employment support they need to help them secure fulfilling and sustainable careers.

“Our plan to deliver our inclusive economy ambitions will also help the business community to be more resilient. Growing and retaining staff by upskilling and motivating them is key to achieving this, which is why events like this are so important for employees and employers – helping support the growth, diversity, resilience and prosperity of our local economy.”

Refreshments and campus facility tours will be offered following the event, allowing attendees to network with each other and meet the University’s business support staff to gain insider knowledge to help underpin their own organisation’s ‘Recruit, Retain & Develop’ strategy.

To register and for more information, visit: www.beds.ac.uk/skills-event