University training day - May 2025
Inspiring, insightful and interactive training for student recruitment, widening participation, and outreach professionals who deliver talks, activities, and events for schools and colleges.
Inspiring, insightful and interactive training for student recruitment, widening participation, and outreach professionals who deliver talks, activities, and events for schools and colleges.
Tuesday 6, May 2025
9:30am to 4pm
STEAMhouse
Birmingham
£275 + VAT
early bird price until 11 April
We are pleased to share details of our next in-person training day with you.
These popular events are created specifically for university staff who deliver talks, activities, and events for schools and colleges. This includes staff working in student recruitment, widening participation, school liaison, and outreach roles.
You will hear from leading experts from inside and outside the sector on a diverse range of topics, all designed to help you perform in your role and inspire prospective students to see all the opportunities higher education offers.
Join us for an event designed to help you engage students and their supporters. You'll discover how to:
This content is especially relevant for those working closely with prospective students, their supporters, teachers, careers advisers, schools, and colleges.
With only 40 spaces available, networking is a key focus. The event will feature regular breaks, with optional post-event networking drinks included too!
Overall event feedback rating – 4.8 out of 5
Watch this video from a previous training day for a taster of what to expect:
Steven is a dedicated leader in the care and education sectors, with over 18 years of lived and professional experience inspiring change for children in and out of care. Winner of the prestigious Global Inclusion Award for SEMH from the International Forums of Inclusion Practitioners (IFIP), he is recognised for his commitment to promoting inclusion and empowering the professionals who support vulnerable young people.
Through Elements Support CIC and Elements Education and Training, Steven leads innovative projects tailored for teachers, social workers, foster and kinship carers, and residential care teams. His initiatives, including The Power of One, Connection Before Correction, and Decoding Behaviour, champion fresh, practical approaches to creating meaningful connections and driving positive change.
Steven’s first book, Drip by Drip, Day by Day, is set to be released in 2025. This poignant reflection on his care experiences offers valuable insights and lessons for reshaping the future of care.
A sought-after speaker and trainer, Steven blends impactful personal stories with actionable strategies, equipping professionals to make a lasting difference and igniting passion for inclusive and compassionate practice.
Penny is CEO and Founder of Marketing Partnership which specialises in helping institutions to grow. She is a chartered marketer and Fellow of the CIM. She is also a Non-Exec Director on the CIM Board. She is passionate about access for Widening Participation groups and has worked in Higher Education marketing and student recruitment for 25 years. She has an unhealthy obsession with stationery.
Simon has almost 20 years of experience in the higher education sector. This includes student recruitment, marketing, and events roles at four different universities in the UK: Nottingham, Birmingham, Warwick, and Coventry.
Simon has also worked at Pickle Jar Communications, a content strategy consultancy for the international education sector. He helped schools, colleges, and universities share their stories through digital communications.
Simon is an international speaker. He has spoken at a variety of conferences, including CASE, ContentEd, EFMD, IDPE, FindAUniversity, HELOA, HighEdWeb, PSEWeb, SU Digital, SU Marketing Conference, and Utterly Content. He was Chair of the Newcomers Track at CASE Europe Annual Conference from 2020 to 2023.
As a published author, Simon is particularly interested in storytelling in the education sector. He spends his free time reading, writing, running, and finding new ways to make his children laugh.
Danielle Coe is the Chief Operating Officer of Blackbullion, a leading student finance fintech company. With over 17 years of experience in student finance, including 12 years at the University of Hertfordshire, Danielle brings deep expertise to the discussion. She holds an MBA and has published research on the impact of digital money tools on student success.
Steven Russell
This workshop explores the importance of building meaningful connections with the young people you support and work alongside in your student recruitment, widening participation, and outreach work. Establishing a connection is the critical first step in any relationship. Only then, will you engage prospective students from all backgrounds in conversations about higher education, as well as their parents, carers, teachers, and advisers.
Drawing on his own lived care experience, Steven will offer practical insights to help participants engage with the 5 elements of connection - patience, presence, creativity, curiosity, and authenticity. Through his personal story, Steven will showcase the real-world impact that these elements can have in creating trust, mutual understanding, and lasting relationships. You will leave equipped with practical strategies and reflective practices to strengthen your connections, promoting growth, resilience, and positive change.
Penny Eccles
In this corner of the sector, we are all truly passionate about what we do. We often have a personal mission and a heightened sense of purpose. But how do we translate the real value of what we do to our senior leadership teams? How do we prepare the ground for greater (or at the very least, protected) investment in our area? How can we be heard?
In this session, Penny will remind us of the real value of outreach activity to any institution’s bottom line and will help you to think differently about how you track and follow up your activities. Penny will share her career journey from her first HE outreach role, along with how she has learned to influence and persuade Executive teams to grow their outreach functions. If you’re looking for a session to help you communicate the value of strategic outreach activity – this is it!
Simon Fairbanks
"Students don't read emails."
You may have heard these words from colleagues. Perhaps you have said them yourself. And the same is often said of our other audiences too: teachers, parents, colleagues, academics. But in a world of overflowing and overwhelming inboxes, perhaps it's more accurate to say, "Students don't read bad emails."
This energising, interactive session is based on Simon’s popular talk from the HELOA Conference 2025. It offers a refresher on digital engagement best practice, perfect for both experienced and new email professionals alike.
You'll discover how to:
Danielle Coe
Information, advice, and guidance around money management and finances at university is a big part of student recruitment, widening participation, and school liaison activity. Finance is an ongoing barrier to higher education, and this has escalated further in the current cost-of-living crisis. Rest assured, Blackbullion are here to help.
This session will provide insight into how this generation handles their finances, and how money influences their behaviour when it comes to making their future choices. You will learn how young people perceive the concept of budgeting based upon recent Blackbullion research. In doing so, you will broaden your understanding of the lifestyle of today's young people, and the potential students of tomorrow.
"Genuinely the best training sessions I've been to, and will continue to attend. I was skeptical on the high praise these sessions had received, but both times I've come away feeling more motivated and inspired about my own work, with some new tools and techniques to bring into existing projects."
"The day was fantastic from start to finish with a range of brilliant speakers who engaged throughout. The informal nature of these events means you feel able to provide your opinion and ask questions. I would highly recommend and I believe these training days are at the forefront of the sector."
"The event was perfectly set up to enable professional networking, in a natural, unobtrusive way"
"Exceptionally well-organised, the event featured outstanding speakers who provided valuable insights and practical tips."
"Such a useful day for anyone working in student recruitment or outreach work. The day was really energising and packed with lots of takeaway tips and advice"
"What a great day! The speakers were so applicable and informative. I loved getting the opportunity to meet other professionals in the same role as me and discuss best practice. Very fun, social and definitely worthwhile! I would love to attend again."
"I have never left a training day so inspired and excited to use what I have learnt in my job. Each speaker was knowledgeable, interesting with practical activities that we could take away to better how we work. I would attend another UniTasterDays training in a heartbeat!"
"I felt motivated to start making changes as soon as I was back at my laptop!"
"Fantastic day with engaging sessions, I learned plenty of new skills to take back to my role"
"Wonderfully engaging speakers and I went away with a full notebook of knowledge and tips for engaging young people!"
"An inspiring day, I look forward to sharing all the great tips with my team. Thank you for a brilliantly organised day."
Our programme is designed to meet the specific needs of university practitioners working in student recruitment, outreach, and widening participation event delivery roles. Expect audience-focused sessions to help you address the challenges you may encounter in your role.
Our event allows multiple opportunities for networking. This includes morning and afternoon refreshments, lunch, and a complimentary drinks reception after the event. You will leave with a wide range of new connections across the sector.
Our training days are designed as in-person events, so the sessions won’t be recorded. It is a unique opportunity for you to gain insights from experienced and expert speakers, whilst learning alongside your peers in a delightful location.
The training day will help you build your knowledge and network within the higher education sector. You will participate in a range of inspiring, insightful, and interactive sessions from expert speakers, from both within and beyond universities.
You will also find generous networking opportunities, including morning and afternoon refreshments, lunch, and a complimentary drinks reception after the event. A detailed schedule will be provided closer to the event for those who have booked a place.
The event is designed for new and experienced practitioners working in student recruitment, school liaison, outreach, and widening participation roles. If you are a university staff member and your responsibilities involve delivering activities for schools and colleges, this event is tailored specifically for you.
The event will be held on Tuesday 6 May 2025. Arrival refreshments will be provided from 9.30am with sessions beginning at 9.45am. Sessions will finish at 4.15pm.
Additionally, there will be an optional drinks reception from 4.15pm to 5.15pm. You are invited to join us for complimentary alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, and a final networking opportunity before travelling home.
The cost is £300+ VAT for an individual ticket, with discounts available for booking multiple places. Please see the booking form for group prices as well as early bird rates (if applicable).
The event is situated in the stunning STEAMhouse building, located in central Birmingham, 10-15 minutes from Moor Street Train Station (closest) and Birmingham New Street Station - and with reasonably priced car parking near by and bicycle storage.
The STEAMhouse building was built in 1899 as the headquarters for the Eccles Rubber and Cycle Company. It was later repurposed to produce linen clothing, bedsteads, and pianos. It is now used by Birmingham City University and regional businesses, following extensive redevelopment.
If you have any questions, we’d be happy to help! Email our Support Team or call 01746 769269.
