AMF HR Forum - Future-Ready Talent: Attract, Develop & Retain

Northumbria University and the Advanced Manufacturing Forum are delighted to invite HR professionals to join us for an engaging and practical half-day event exploring one of the most pressing challenges facing organisations today: building and sustaining a high-performing workforce.

This morning session brings together academic expertise, industry insight, and peer experience in a collaborative setting. Participants will hear about Northumbria University's commitment to experiential learning — how it is connecting real-world challenges with meaningful development and actively supporting organisations to attract the right talent, develop their people, and retain a skilled and motivated workforce — before coming together in facilitated roundtable discussions to share challenges, exchange ideas, and explore solutions.

Whether you are grappling with recruitment pipelines, skills gaps, employee engagement, or succession planning, this event is designed to spark meaningful conversation and offer practical takeaways.

Who Should Attend

HR professionals, People Directors, and Talent & Development leads from organisations across the region who are looking to strengthen their workforce strategy and connect with like-minded peers.

Agenda:

9.30am Arrival, refreshments & networking

9.50am Welcome & scene-setting — Introductions from Northumbria University & Advanced Manufacturing Forum, including a short address on the regional growth agenda and the critical role of a workforce equipped with the knowledge, skills and behaviours to drive it

10.00am Showcase: Northumbria University — How we are supporting organisations to attract, develop and retain talent; highlighting current programmes, partnerships and initiatives

10.45am Roundtable discussions: Your workforce challenges — facilitated small-group conversations exploring the real issues HR professionals are facing, including recruitment, skills development, retention, and engagement

11.30am Group feedback & key themes — roundtable groups share insights; facilitators capture priorities and emerging themes

11.50am Wrap-up, next steps & close

12.00pm Event close

Key Themes

The event will focus on three core pillars:

Attract — Talent pipelines, graduate recruitment, employer branding, and engaging with education to bring the right people into your organisation.

Develop — Apprenticeships, CPD, degree-level programmes, leadership development, and building capability from within.

Retain — Engagement strategies, career pathways, workforce wellbeing, and creating conditions where people choose to stay and grow.

What to Expect

Attendees will leave with a clearer picture of the support available through Northumbria University and the Advanced Manufacturing Forum, practical ideas drawn from peer discussion, and a network of HR professionals facing similar challenges.

Insights gathered on the day will also help both organisations shape future provision to better meet the needs of employers across the region.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Advanced Manufacturing Forum