Scottish Government

Chapter One Introduction

1.1 Long-term estimates for Scotland's population show a decline to less than 5 million by 2036. First Minister Jack McConnell identified this as 'the single biggest challenge facing Scotland as we move further into the 21 ^st century' (Scottish Executive, 2004). To tackle this, various initiatives - including Fresh Talent - have been put in place to encourage people to relocate to Scotland and stem population decline. The Scottish Executive (Finance and Central Services Department), and Scottish Enterprise commissioned TNS System Three Social to research the experiences of those who relocate to Scotland in order to inform future policy developments.

1.2 This report seeks to:

• Understand why people choose to relocate to Scotland - including returning Scots, people from the rest of the UK and people from outwith the UK
• Explore the factors that have helped people to relocate to Scotland, in particular support with accessing employment opportunities and settling into Scottish life, including understanding the positive experiences and/or barriers encountered
• Consider the inter relations between the influence of education/work experiences, the importance of living in a particular place, and personal circumstances such as birth connections, family links, and family influence

Study background

1.3 Population projections from the General Register Office for Scotland ( GROS, 2005) show that while Scotland's population will rise over the next 15 years, it is predicted to fall from 2020, while the rest of the UK continues on an upward trend. Current predictions suggest that Scotland's population will fall below 5 million in 2036. While the number of children aged under 16 and people of working age are set to fall, the number of people of pensionable age, and people aged over 75 is set to rise dramatically.

1.4 Against this background, in-migration can have a significant impact on the development and sustainability of the economy. In a recent report from the European Commission, the UK's attitude to encouraging migrant workers from accession countries was applauded:

"Countries that have not applied restrictions after May 2004 ( UK, Ireland and Sweden) have experienced high economic growth, a drop of unemployment and a rise of employment." (European Commission, 2006a)

The Scottish Executive's Fresh Talent Initiative aims to attract and retain bright, hard working people to Scotland.

Qualitative research

1.5 This study was conducted using qualitative research methods. There were two main advantages for doing this over a quantitative approach. Firstly, as identified in the Literature Review, there is a lack of research into the experiences of in-migrants to Scotland. A qualitative approach allowed the issues that are important to in-migrants to be explored. A quantitative approach, would have more tightly controlled the variables under investigation, and hence, not allowed sufficient room for the in-migrants to express their views.

1.6 Secondly, a qualitative approach lent itself well to the subject matter of the experiences of those who relocate to Scotland. Relocating is a major life change and discussing it can be emotional. The qualitative approach allowed for a much greater understanding of the complicated personal decision making process and was able to probe deeply into the multi-layered reasons and motivations behind the decisions. A quantitative approach would not have been able to probe to the same extent.

1.7 Qualitative research does not seek to be representative of the views of a given population. Consequently, it was not necessary to interview a large number of people in order to acquire valuable and meaningful data. In this study we engaged with a broad spectrum of in-migrants covering a range of experiences, backgrounds and situations (inevitably, not all situations will have been covered). From this work we have been able to identify broad themes applicable to the in-migrant population in Scotland.

Study methodology

1.8 There were four main elements to the research design of the study. These were:

• A literature review on managed migration
• Depth interviews with individuals from organisations in contact with in-migrants
• Depth interviews with in-migrants in three sub-groups of entrepreneurs, employees and post graduates
• Follow-up focus groups with in-migrants

The literature review - Main arguments around managed migration

1.9 The literature review was conducted at the start of the project to provide a contextual backdrop to inform the planning of the study and the resulting conclusions and recommendations in Chapter 6.

1.10 Key discussions in the literature focus around whether highly skilled in-migrants are primarily influenced by place and/or the existence of similarly talented and creative people, or economic opportunities. From the US experience, Florida (2002) argued that the process of economic development has changed from one of the creation and attraction of firms, to one focused on the quality of human capital, in which the attraction and retention of highly skilled individuals - in particular the "creative class" - is key. Florida describes this creative class as,

"A fast growing, highly educated and well paid segment of the workforce on whose efforts corporate profits and economic growth increasingly depend. Members of the creative class do a variety of work in a variety of industries - from technology to entertainment, journalism to finance, high-end manufacturing to arts. They do not consciously think of themselves as a class. Yet they share a common ethos that values creativity, individuality, difference and merit."

1.11 On the other hand, work commissioned by Scottish Enterprise suggests that, in Scotland, while the focus on people has risen in importance, there remains a need to ensure that suitable economic opportunities are provided in order to attract in-migrants and encourage them to stay (Harrison et al, 2003 and Findlay et al, 2003). They suggest that talented workers are attracted by the availability of attractive career-enhancing opportunities, and will not move to an "economic desert".

1.12 Harrison et al (2003) also point out that Florida's thesis was developed in the context of city regions in North America and it is questionable whether these ideas readily transfer to a European context and to the regional scale. Harrison et al also suggest that the decision to move from an existing location precedes the consideration of the place of relocation and that once the decision to move has taken place, the availability of economic opportunity then takes precedence over the location per se. Even among ex-patriot Scots, where the psychology of returning is substantially based on the emotional attachment to place, there is a willingness to return home only if the economic opportunities exist.

1.13 Creative talent, Florida (2002) also argues, is attracted by cultural cosmopolitanism - a vibrant, bohemian milieu characterised by openness, tolerance, diversity, colour, creativity and spontaneity. Boyle and Motherwell (2005) consider this notion of "cultural cosmopolitanism" to be particularly pertinent to Scottish policy makers because of the "widely held suspicion that to date, creative people have found Scotland to be stuffy, rule bound, parochial and conservative". In their research on Scottish ex-patriots in Dublin, Boyle and Motherwell use Florida's dynamic of cultural cosmopolitanism to create an analytic framework. The framework uses traditional human capital explanations of migration (where the economic growth leads to labour market growth) and quality of life explanations (which recognise the influence of the standard of living on migration decisions). They found that human capital (career opportunities) best explained why Scots initially moved to Dublin, cultural cosmopolitanism explained why they settled and enjoyed life in Dublin, and quality of life issues explains what might make them return.

Interviews with organisations in contact with in-migrants

1.14 Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with organisations in direct contact with in-migrant groups in order to explore perceptions of in-migrants' experiences. Most interviews were conducted face to face at the respondent's place of work, but where not convenient for respondents, interviews were conducted by telephone. All organisations were briefed in advance by a letter explaining the purpose of the study.

1.15 Organisations across different sectors, and who were involved at different stages of in-migrants' relocations, were interviewed in order to gain a broad understanding of their perception of the attractions for in-migrants and the challenges that they face. Respondents included employers, relocation agencies, universities and organisations involved with entrepreneurs, such as business incubators. All interviews were conducted with senior staff who had first hand contact with in-migrants and could provide an overview of their experiences.

1.16 The organisations interviewed were in the following sectors:

• Oil/gas employer
• Public health employer
• Transport employer
• A relocation agency
• Business incubator ¹
• Scottish Development International
• Ethnic minority enterprise centre (publicly run)
• Talent Scotland
• Two international student advisors at two universities

As the organisations differed in their type of contact with migrant groups, four different topic guides were used: one for employers; one for relocation agencies; one for business support agencies; and one for universities (see Annex 1 for employers' topic guide). The organisations interviewed provided valuable insight into how in-migrants are viewed, and how in-migrants' relocation experiences are perceived.

Interviews with in-migrants

1.19 Qualitative interviews were carried out with three groups of in-migrants - employees, entrepreneurs and post graduates. Face-to-face depth interviewing was used with all respondents, most lasting about an hour and a half. All interviews were carried out at either the respondent's place of work or study, or their home. The interviews served to understand the individual's personal experience of the decision making process and the actual experience of moving to Scotland.

1.20 A proportion of the interviews were with couples who had relocated to Scotland. For people who moved with their family or partner, of which there are many, it was felt that it would be useful to understand the relationship dynamics which may highlight particular issues in the relocation decision and experience. To this effect, 10 paired depths were conducted, each lasting around two hours.

1.21 Each respondent was sent a letter in advance informing them of the study. They were also asked to complete two pre-interview tasks ( Annex 2):

• Firstly, to answer a two-page questionnaire on personal socio economic data and indicative scores for high level questions ²
• Secondly, to think about the thoughts and feelings around their decision to relocate, the actual experience of relocating, and their hopes/concerns about their future in Scotland

The aim of the pre-interview tasks was to give respondents an opportunity to think in advance about their relocation, and thus allow the interviewer to more quickly focus on the reasons behind their thoughts and feelings in the actual interview.

1.22 A general topic guide was used, with a section for specific questions for each of the three broad groups (see Annex 3). The main points discussed were:

• In-migrants' knowledge of Scotland pre-relocation
• What made Scotland attractive to people who relocated
• In-migrants' experience of relocating to Scotland
• Awareness of government initiatives intended to attract and retain in-migrants

The sample

1.23 The three main groups covered were: entrepreneurs, employees and post graduates. It was initially intended that each group would have an equal split of the sample. However, as fieldwork progressed it became apparent that there were more varied motivators for moving amongst the employee group, and less so amongst the post graduate group. As a result, the number of employees recruited was increased, and the number of post graduates decreased. The resulting sample consisted of 18 entrepreneurs, 23 employees and 12 post graduates. ³ This was across 45 households, with 10 interviews with partners.

1.24 Recruitment of in-migrants was undertaken in three ways. Firstly, the organisations who had contact with in-migrants and had been interviewed provided the contact details of consenting in-migrants. Secondly, a snowballing technique was employed by contacting individuals with a known interest or expertise in the area and asking them to use their contacts to find suitable individuals. Thirdly, businesses, business organisations, and universities were contacted and asked to invite suitable individuals to participate in the study, by phone, e-mail or letter. Some organisations sent out information on the study to their members/employees/students, and some contacted individuals directly. The contact details of consenting individuals were passed to the research team. Once contacted, in-migrants were checked against the following criteria to ensure a balanced cross section of experience:

Length of time since relocation to Scotland - All in-migrants had relocated to Scotland within the last ten years, with the vast majority having moved within the last 5, and around a third within the last year. Having this variation meant that the experiences at different stages of in-migration were considered. In-migrants who had recently moved had the relocation fresh in their minds, and found it easy to recall their motivations, whereas people who had had time to reflect on their relocation provided more informed views of life in Scotland as an in-migrant and a better insight into their future plans.

Age and life stage of respondent - The respondents were a mixture of single people, couples without children, and couples with children of varying ages. As shown in previous research by System Three (1996), the decision to relocate is often based around 'life stage' events.

Gender - Just over half the sample were male.

Where they live now - Scotland has a diverse range of lifestyles to offer. To reflect this it was important that the sample was recruited across the whole of Scotland, encompassing a spread of regions and a mixture of city, town and rural dwellers. Around half of the in-migrants interviewed lived in large cities; just over a quarter were in small cities or towns, and the rest lived rurally. As expected, all post graduates were recruited from cities, most employees were also city based (although a number lived in accessible rural areas), and entrepreneurs were a mixture, with many living rurally.

Where they originated from - In-migrants to Scotland, or for that matter, to any country, come for different reasons. Previous research for Highlands and Islands Enterprise ( NFO, 2004) showed differences in motivation to relocate by different origins. Respondents from the rest of the UK were more likely to have been motivated by quality of life considerations while the decisions of returning Scots were more employment-led. Given this, it was important to ensure that the sample reflected different origins. Just over half the respondents interviewed were from overseas, and the rest were a mixture of people from the rest of the UK, and returning Scots.

Types of work: Entrepreneurs - The entrepreneurs recruited had varied working patterns, environments, and were in various industry sectors. This included people in health, bio and material science, media, tourism, retail, and business consultancy. Some ran small companies, and were start-ups, others directed their own larger companies that they had relocated from outwith Scotland.

Employees in different sectors - As employees make up a large proportion of in-migrants it was important to recruit people who were from different backgrounds to reflect the diversity of the group. The employee sub-group included people working in the energy/oil industry, health/biosciences, finance, public sector, education, design and construction.

Post graduates in different sectors - Post graduate students recruited were studying, or had recently finished studying a variety of disciplines. This included engineering, bioscience, humanities, business, and law.

Couples - Given the importance relationships have on the decision to relocate and that it often does not just involve one person, couples were included in the sample. Research of people moving to the Highlands and Islands showed that most relocated to the area in couples, than as single people ( NFO, 2004).

Focus groups

Four focus groups were held with in-migrants who had participated in the depth interviews in four locations: Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Inverness. Respondents who had agreed to take part in the focus groups at the individual interview stage were recontacted. The main objectives as set out in the discussion guide were to test emerging findings; generate suggestions for what could be usefully done by the Scottish Executive in relation to managing migration (see Annex 4 for discussion guide).

Limitations of research approach

1.25 Due to the nature of the sample there were a number of limitations to the study that were acknowledged:

• The in-migrants in the sample had all managed to relocate, and were still living in Scotland. Therefore the experiences gathered were likely to be quite positive compared to those who had faced significant barriers and had not gone through with the relocation, and those who had unsuccessful relocations and not stayed on. However, length of time since relocation ranged from just a few months to more than five years, offering a good breadth of experiences.
• The sample members were all English speaking, though not always as a first language. This meant that language was rarely identified as a strong barrier, which is probably not reflective of the in-migrant population as a whole.
• Virtually all in-migrants recruited to participate were contributing to the Scottish economy; therefore this study does not cover the experiences of in-migrants who are economically inactive.

Report structure

1.27 This report offers an analysis of why people choose to relocate to Scotland. This is done using a framework of four typologies of in-migrants that emerged from the research; these are Pragmatists, World Citizens, Lifestage Returners, and Lifestyle Pursuers. These four typologies are referred to throughout the report and are explained in detail in Chapter 2, along with an analysis of motivations to relocate. Chapter 3 reviews the knowledge and perceptions of in-migrants prior to moving to Scotland, and their awareness and knowledge of the Fresh Talent Initiative. Chapter 4 reviews the barriers to settling in and staying on as experienced by in-migrants, and Chapter 5 focuses on those factors that made their relocation easier and what encourages them to stay on. Chapter 6 considers the scope for further attraction and retention of in-migrants by raising some important questions for the Fresh Talent Initiative, and also offers some practical recommendations for encouraging and retaining in-migrants.