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Funding to retain international talent
13/08/2008
Investment of £232,761 has been announced today to support international students wishing to remain and work in Scotland following completion of their studies.
Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture Linda Fabiani announced the new funding which will support 16 projects in nine universities and colleges across Scotland helping to retain valuable skills for our labour market and contributing towards growing Scotland's economy.
Ms Fabiani said:
"Attracting talented, bright and hard-working graduates from around the world is a key part of our commitment to a Wealthier and Fairer Scotland. But we must also retain those talented intenational students studying here at Scottish institutions.
"I am announcing this funding to ensure Scotland continues to benefit from what these bright individuals have to offer after their studies are complete. These projects are key to giving international graduates the support they require to settle in Scotland after graduation.
"Since 2005 over 8,200 international graduates have chosen to stay in Scotland under the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme. The funding I have announced today will ensure we continue to lead the way in supporting our international graduates who want to accept our invitation to remain in Scotland post-study. They can make an important contribution toward achieving, and maintaining, faster, more sustainable economic growth in Scotland."
The £232,761 funding being announced will allow 16 projects to run in the 2008/09 academic year (September 2008 - September 2009), giving students the support required to remain in Scotland and integrate into Scottish life.
The successful projects are:
Lead Institution Funding
Robert Gordon University £2,530
Mentoring, recruitment skills, pharmaceutical placements.
North Glasgow College £1,650
Progression opportunities with partner Careers Scotland to deliver workshops on future study and career opportunities.
Stevenson College £8,203
Developing skills for work along with Telford College - customer service, teamwork , planning and building contacts with employers.
Napier University £17,000
International alliance project - skills acquisition, workplace experience and mentoring.
Heriot Watt University £38,500
Case studies and online industry sector profiles detailing key industry facts and figures.
Heriot Watt University £9,100
International student volunteering project with partner Careers Service. Benefits of volunteering in skills development.
Glasgow Caledonian University £8,600
Enhancement of employability assets including language skills for interviews, employer/student event and awareness raising of skills required by previous students.
University of Glasgow £9,940
Interview academy - intensive support focusing on language skills for interviews. Partner: Careers Service.
University of Glasgow £68,564
Student placements. Partners: Universities of Aberdeen, Stirling and Dundee
University of Dundee £15,074
Internships for International Students (ISIS) project. Work experience. Partner: Dundee College
University of Dundee £34,000
Enterprise potential/harness resources for entrepreneurial ideas. Partner: Heriot Watt University.
University of Dundee £5,000
Construction & Civil Engineering projects - targeted program of construction industry related contacts to support job success.
University of Stirling £14,600
International Student internships - work placements.
Total £232,761
The Fresh Talent Challenge Fund (International Students) is a competitive fund which aims to support further and higher education institutions to enhance the employability support and mentoring available to international students in Scotland. It also encourages institutions to work collaboratively, both within and outwith the sector, to develop innovative and effective ways of supporting international students to access the Scottish jobs market.
From June 30, 2008 the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme has been subsumed into Tier One: One Post Study of the new points based system for managed migration. The criteria for the scheme remain the same and allow international graduates to remain and work in the UK for up to two years.