Belina director Liz Sewell FIEP took centre stage at the recent IEP Summit, an industry event for senior employability professionals to discuss and debate the future of work and the challenges and priorities facing the employability sector now and in the years ahead.
Liz presented alongside Dr Jo Ingold, Associate Professor of Human Resource Management & Public Policy at Leeds University Business School on the subject of employer engagement and the fact that despite the UK having the highest ever recorded employment and lowest unemployment rates that many people still struggle to get into, and stay in, work that has decent pay and conditions.
Liz said “I absolutely advocate alternative thinking in employment practice, such as term time only working and providing people with free ESOL and functional skills learning. At Belina we support many women who face challenges such as being lone parents and not having English as their first language. They want to work and have many skills that would benefit employers but employers need to recognise that a more flexible approach is needed to make work work for everyone. We also need to find ways for smaller organisations to engage with employers.”
“I was delighted to be involved in the IEP Summit to debate these important issues with people who are so passionate about employability and improving people’s lives.”