Posted on: 10/04/2025

Thought Leadership

The 2025 Public Sector Workforce Summit united 100+ professionals to share insights and lead through change. With purpose-led leadership and personal stories, the event marked a key milestone as West Midlands Employers launched its Strategic Plan and new website.

By Rebecca Davis, Chief Executive at West Midlands Employers

It’s always a privilege to bring people together with a shared passion for people. This year’s Public Sector Workforce Summit was no exception – an energising and meaningful day spent with over 100 professionals working across Leadership & Organisational Development, HR, and Transformation, all navigating a time of significant change for local government.

With uncertainty around devolution and continued pressures on services, it’s never been more important for our people strategies to be connected, courageous and rooted in purpose. What we saw at this year’s Summit was exactly that: a community coming together to share, support and inspire.

A diverse range of voices, united by purpose

One of the things I’m most proud of is the sheer variety of perspectives we brought to the stage this year. From the big picture to the deeply personal – every speaker brought something rich to the conversation.

• Mo Baines, Chief Executive of APSE, and Jason Lowther from the University of Birmingham, set the tone early with powerful insights into workforce trends and local government data – reminding us why adaptation, ambition, and evidence-based decision-making matter more than ever.
• Heather Murray opened our eyes to how AI is already transforming non-tech workplaces – showing us practical, empowering ways to embrace this fast-evolving space.
• Peter Cheese, CEO of CIPD, grounded us in the realities of ‘The New World of Work’ – highlighting not just what’s changing, but how we can lead through it with values at our core.
• Kat Thorne, through her personal story of burnout and resilience, reminded us of the human heart behind workforce planning – and the power of just one small habit change.
• And the brilliant Sue Chilton brought leadership to life in her fireside chat, sharing candid reflections from the frontline of public service.
• Our panel session, exploring the future state of councils with Andy Begley and Sir David Thompson, captured a mood of realism and resolve. It’s clear we’re all navigating complexity – but we’re doing it with insight, shared learning and integrity.

A strategic step forward

This year’s Summit also marked a proud milestone for West Midlands Employers – the release of our Strategic Plan. This plan sets out our continued commitment to supporting the region’s workforce with clarity, innovation and leadership. Alongside it, we launched our new website, designed to give our members and partners easier access to tools, insights and support.

The power of shared experience

The feedback we received from attendees spoke volumes. Many described the day as “uplifting”, “grounding” and “a much-needed space to think”. That space to reflect – away from the immediate noise – is something we know is increasingly rare. It was heartening to see it so well received.

Save the date: Workforce Summit 2026

We’re already looking ahead. The next Workforce Summit will be held on Monday 15th June 2026 – and if this year is anything to go by, it’s an event you won’t want to miss. If you’re working to shape the future of our public service workforce – whether through HR, OD, transformation or leadership – we’d love to see you there.

 Together, we’ll keep building the public service workforce of the future – one bold, thoughtful step at a time.

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