The Party Conference circus rolls into town next weekend with the Lib Dems in Glasgow, followed by Labour in Brighton, and the Conservatives in Manchester. We will be in amongst it, fighting our industry’s corner and providing regular updates from various fringe sessions and networking events.

Jobs and growth will be one of the hot topics and we will also be on the look-out for latest sector-specific ‘intel’ that we can feed back to specialist recruiters.  We can also expect plenty of discussions on flexible working arrangements (especially in light of the recent zero hour contracts ‘wall of sound’) and we will use this to promote the positive role of agency work.  Education and skills will also feature and we will position the role that recruitment professionals play in enabling companies to access the talent they need to compete in the so-called ‘global race’.

As we prepare to unleash the REC Policy crew on the party conference circuit, here are the five key outcomes that we are looking to achieve:

 1. Build industry voice – Having a strong industry presence, in particular, by hosting our own fringe events, is a key part our work to raise awareness and recognition amongst the ‘political elite’.

 2. Influence the agenda – The aim is to influence the direction of travel wherever possible. This year’s events are especially crucial as the main parties begin to formulate manifesto commitments.

 3. Drive client awareness – The party conference bubble is also a great environment for building relationships with business organisations and leading employers that attend.  This feeds into our overall ‘client awareness’ activities.

 4. Ramp up campaigning messages – We will be taking forward industry messages on a range of issues Including employment regulations, enforcement, procurement and taxation.

5. Hone in on the sectors – Fringe sessions will focus on areas such as healthcare, education, financial services and childcare, as well as on high-growth sectors such as technology, engineering, life sciences and creative industries. Post-conference briefings will be sent to REC Sector Groups.

The madness kicks off this weekend and we are on for a strong start with the Employment Relations Minister (Jo Swinson) agreeing to take part in our joint fringe event with PCG and Demos on Monday. The ongoing input from REC members will be at the heart of the messages we take forward at this, and the subsequent events.

For regular updates from the conference floor you can follow us on Twitter (@RECPress, @HadleysComment, @ShoesmithKate, @CWilford, @AmandaCiskeREC). We will be using #RECVoice throughout the conference season.

Event details are:
*       Liberal Democrats (The Campenile Hotel, Glasgow) – Monday 16th September, 6.15 – 7.30pm
*       Labour (Brighton) – Monday 23rd September (this event is inside the secure zone and so only members with a pass will be able to attend)
*       Conservative (the Radisson Hotel, Manchester) – Monday 30th September, 5.30 – 7pm