The NI Chamber's Future Workforce Summit is a pivotal event designed to address the critical challenges and opportunities facing Northern Ireland's labour market.
This summit brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and experts to forge a path towards a more skilled, adaptable, and competitive workforce.
Thursday 16 October | 8:00am - 2:00pm | Dunadry Hotel & Gardens
Event Agenda
8:00 AM
Breakfast, Registration and Networking
9:00 AM
Suzanne Wylie, CEO, NI Chamber
9;15 AM
Dr Caoimhe Archibald, Economy Minister, Department for the Economy
9:30 AM
Gordon Parkes, Executive Director, NIE Networks
9:50 AM
Dr Kevin Marshall, Chair, National Skills Council Ireland
10:10 AM
Phil Smith CBE, Chair of Skills England– Keynote Address
10:40 AM
Break – Coffee/ Tea
11:00 AM
Paul Gillen, Partner, Lewis Silkin – ‘Good Jobs’ Bill Update
Kristal Miller, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development, Ulster University
Ellen Thompson, SistersIN
Kathleen O'Hare, Chair, NI Skills Council
Richard Good, Director, Turnaround Project
1:25 PM
Pathways to Upskill and Reskill – Panel
Judith Crawford, Partner - People Consulting, EY
Emma Finney, Head of Business, Innovation and Partnerships, SERC
Mark Huddleston, Managing Director at jheSOLUTIONS
Paul Cassidy, Senior Manager, Global Learning Advisory, Allstate NI
1:55 PM
Suzanne Wylie, CEO, NI Chamber - Closing Remarks
2:00 PM
Lunch
Your Host and Speakers
Event Host
Jo Scott
BBC Northern Ireland
Jo has been a news presenter with BBC Northern Ireland for 25 years.
She has been a reporter/presenter on several BBC1 series across local and network TV, having co-hosted shows such as ‘Children In Need’, the BBC’s flagship rural affairs series ‘Home Ground’ and ‘Sunday Morning Live’.
Before entering the world of journalism, Jo was a retail food buyer in London.
Event Speakers
Keynote Presentation
Dr Caoimhe Archibald
Economy Minister, Department for the Economy
Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA was appointed Economy Minister on 3 February 2025. Before this, Caoimhe served as Finance Minister from February 2024. Caoimhe grew up in Coleraine.
She attended Loreto College, Coleraine and graduated from Queen’s University, Belfast with a BSc in Molecular Biology and a PhD by research with a Department of Agriculture and Rural Development studentship. She also completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Management & Corporate Governance at Ulster University.
Caoimhe was elected as an MLA for East Derry in May 2016 and re-elected in March 2017 and again in May 2022. She is formerly Chair of the Assembly’s Economy and Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs committees.
Prior to being elected in May 2016, Caoimhe had worked for almost a decade in applied horticulture and plant pathology research, including on collaborative EU-funded projects.
Keynote Presentation: Skills England - Building a Future-Ready Workforce
Phil Smith CBE
Chair, Skills England
Phil Smith CBE is Chair of Skills England, bringing extensive leadership in technology, innovation and skills development.
Former Cisco UK & Ireland CEO and Chairman, he also chaired Innovate UK and led key skills initiatives, including The Tech Partnership and the Digital Skills Council.
Awarded a CBE in 2019 for services to technology and skills, Phil has worked to bridge industry and education.
His appointment as Skills England Chair in 2025 reflects his commitment to shaping the UK’s workforce for future economic needs.
Headline Sponsor Remarks
Gordon Parkes
Executive Director - People & Culture, NIE Networks
Gordon Parkes, Executive Director – People & Culture, has worked for NIE Networks for 22 years. He has over 40 years’ experience in Human Resources across several organisations and sectors. He is a Board Member of the Board of Trustees of the Grand Opera House Trust and of the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. He is currently Chair of the Green Skills Delivery Group established by the Department for the Economy. Since 2013 he has been a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and, in 2019, was awarded Chartered Companion status by the CIPD Board. He holds a Masters in Business Administration, is a member of the Institute of Directors and holds a Diploma in Company Direction (DipIoD).
The Future Skills Priorities in Ireland
Dr Kevin Marshall
Chair, National Skills Council Ireland
Dr Kevin Marshall has extensive cross-sectoral, education, and industry experience working for Microsoft Ireland for the last 20 years, with the last 10 years as the Head of Learning and Skills.
He has been appointed as Adjunct Professor in the Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute at Maynooth University.
He has a BA (Hons) in Psychology from University College Dublin, an MSc in Occupational Psychology from the University of Hull and a PhD in Educational Measurements and Research from Boston College.
His experience as the Head of Learning and Skills in a multinational corporation, combined with a PhD in education, positions him as an expert in both theoretical and practical aspects of skills development.
He has been involved in many projects focusing on the development and application of technologies, person-centred systems and evidence-based policies to empower people throughout their life course.
UUEPC Skills Barometer 2023 Overview
Gareth Hetherington
Director, Ulster University Economics Policy Centre
Gareth Hetherington is Director of the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre. The Centre carries out a broad range of economic policy-focused research to inform Government on key policy and strategy decisions.
The Centre is currently working with Central Government in the areas of labour market research, skills development and the latest Investment Strategy for NI and with Local Government in Community Planning and economic development strategies. Gareth provides regular economic commentary in the media and is often invited to provide evidence to Stormont Committees on economic development policy.
Gareth is a Council member of the NI Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a member of the Northern Ireland Skills Council, a member of the Public Sector Transformation Board, a Trustee of Positive Futures and is a former Chair of the South Eastern Regional College (SERC).
‘Good Jobs’ Employment Rights Bill Update
Paul Gillen
Partner - Employment, Immigration and Reward, Lewis Silkin
Paul Gillen is qualified in England & Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. He provides cross-jurisdictional and comparative law advice to clients in various sectors.
Before training as a lawyer, Paul had over a decade of experience in in-house HR roles, including being Head of HR, across sectors such as retail, construction, manufacturing, and logistics.
He is also a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, and a Visiting Professor at the School of Law at Ulster University.
Delivering on Jobs and Skills
Suzanne Wylie
Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Suzanne Wylie, appointed Chief Executive of NI Chamber in August 2023, brings extensive leadership experience from roles in the Jersey Government and Belfast City Council.
Her achievements include securing the £1bn Belfast City Region Deal, developing the Belfast-Dublin Economic Corridor, and chairing Innovation City Belfast.
Suzanne is committed to boosting Northern Ireland's economy and fostering business innovation. She holds an OBE, an honorary doctorate from Queen's University Belfast, an MBA, and is a fellow of the Institute of Directors.
Future Workforce Summit:
Our Key Panels
Panel One: Pathways to Employment
Exploring practical solutions to improve employment outcomes, strengthen vocational routes, and connect people to work through mentoring, skills, and AI adoption.
Richard Kirk
CEO & Founder
Workplus
Kristal Miller
Professor of Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development
Ulster University
Ellen Thomson
University Student
SistersIN
Kathleen O’Hare
Chair
NI Skills Council
Richard Good
Director
Turnaround Project
Panel Two: Pathway to Upskill and Reskill
Identifying how employers, educators and policymakers can align reskilling and upskilling to meet evolving business needs.
Future Workforce Summit:
About Our Sponsors
Headline Sponsor
NIE Networks
Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (NIE Networks) is the owner of the electricity transmission and distribution networks in Northern Ireland, transporting electricity to over 910,000 customers including homes, businesses and farms.
In the next decade, renewable energy will transform our electricity network providing a sustainable and more prosperous future for us all. We'll be hiring hundreds of people over the next months and years to make it happen.
Supporting Sponsor
Work+
Workplus helps employers raise their profile with schools and parents, build talent pathways and grow early talent.
Its bespoke software simplifies apprentice recruitment, offering a coordinated one-stop shop for employers and applicants.
Since 2019, over 100 employers across engineering, tech, construction and business services have recruited apprentices through Workplus.
Current projects include Software for All in partnership with Software NI and funded by the Department for the Economy, to increase female apprentices in software, cyber and fintech. Workplus also partners with local councils on work experience and internship projects, and recently launched Career Quest - a career discovery hub for Year 9/10 pupils.
Supporting Sponsor
Further Education NI
FE NI represents the collective voice of Northern Ireland’s six regional colleges. It plays a pivotal role in:
Driving economic growth by equipping learners with professional and technical qualifications aligned to industry needs, from entry level to Foundation Degrees and Higher-Level Apprenticeships.
Promoting social inclusion through accessible education pathways for all, including school leavers, career changers, and lifelong learners.
Supporting employers by fostering innovation and supplying a skilled workforce.
Collaborating with industry to ensure training is relevant, future-focused, and responsive to evolving demands.
FE NI is a key partner in shaping NI’s workforce strategy, empowering individuals through education.
Supporting Sponsor
EY
EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society, and the planet, while building trust in the capital markets.
Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.
EY teams in more than 150 countries work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions, strengthened by sector experience and diverse ecosystem partners.
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