Kamil Gradowski
Delegates heard from industry experts on challenges and opportunities coming in 2026 and beyond.
Steve Sorah from Blackpool based energy experts Trident delivered a clear and practical briefing on sustainability, urging businesses to act before customers or supply chains force the issue.
He said: “It’s not just about reducing energy costs, but actually using less energy, and therefore using less waste, means the cheapest kilowatt hour is the one that you never use.”
And he warned that sustainability is no longer an option in many sectors, adding: “There are businesses severely at risk if they’re not doing these things.”
Steve Sorah
College and the software they’ve made for us has saved us hundreds of thousands of pounds.”
Mark Vernon spoke about the level of skill required to manufacture components for
Our whole IT department has been educated
by Blackpool and The Fylde College and the software they’ve made for us has saved us hundreds of thousands of pounds
A panel featuring Kamil Gradowski of Affordable Windows; Warren Langford from LAB Creative digital agency; Mark Vernon, Addison Precision; Stephen Foreman, Cogent Skills and Philip Hollis, The Platform, talked about how employers and colleges are working together to develop talent.
Kamil said: “Our whole IT department has been educated by Blackpool and The Fylde
the aerospace and medical industries – and why apprentices are essential. Apprenticeships now make up 18 per cent of Addison’s workforce.
Stephen Foreman explained how Cogent helps SMEs overcome the administrative burden of hiring apprentices. He said: “Taking on an apprentice or an early career person for an industrial placement can be a lot of work.”
Linda Dean
And Philip Hollis, challenged misconceptions about young employees. He added: “The old school model of recruitment is broken. You need a more confident, more checked recruitment solution that doesn’t take up time.”
Warren Langford emphasised the need to adapt quickly in the digital world and the growing role of AI.
And Mark Edwards, operations director at Seriun, showed how AI can transform everyday work. He told delegates: “The prompting and questions you ask the AI matters significantly.”
Employment law specialist Sarah Astley from AfterAthena reminded delegates about major changes to the Employment Rights Act.
And as Lancashire prepares for its next chapter with devolution and the Lancashire Combined County Authority, it was made clear to the audience that businesses, colleges and partners are already working collectively to design the workforce of the future.
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