Overseas students urged to live and work in Scotland
A careers conference aimed at encouraging international students to live and work in Scotland after graduation will be held in Aberdeen this week.
Organised by the University of Aberdeen, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen College, in partnership with Aberdeen City Council, and Careers Scotland, the conference is set to attract upwards of 500 students when it is held on Wednesday, June 7, in the Sports Centre at The Robert Gordon University, Garthdee.
The event will offer international students free advice on living and working in Scotland and will also include keynote speeches, a programme of practical workshops on finding work, an exhibition of useful organisations and a panel discussion with representatives from the education sector and employers’ representatives. Key note speeches will be delivered by Barney Crockett, Director of the Grampian Racial Equality Council and BP representative David Lawrie.
The careers conference is being held in conjunction with the Scottish Executive’s Fresh Talent Initiative launched by Scotland’s First Minister, Jack McConnell, in 2004. This was followed, in summer 2005, by the introduction of the Fresh Talent’s Working in Scotland Scheme (FTI: WISS), which allows those graduating from Scottish institutions to stay and work without work permits for two years.
Regina Styles, Careers Adviser with the University of Aberdeen’s Careers & Appointments Service, said the Fresh Talent Initiative is designed to counteract the decline in Scotland’s population, a problem that will affect Aberdeen more than any other city in Scotland.
She said: “Over the next 13 years, projections show that the City’s population will fall by 22.6% and this will have serious implications for the City and its educational institutions.
“We need to ensure we retain the specialist knowledge and skills of our international students who are an important and significant part of the student population in Aberdeen and have shown great interest in the Fresh Talent Initiative’s Working in Scotland Scheme.
“We cannot underestimate the importance of our highly educated international students to the growth of the Scottish economy and we need to recognise the diversity of the skills, knowledge, and cultural attitudes that international students can bring to a modern Scotland.”
A separate information session for employers with involvement from the Relocation Advisory Service will also be held at the conference followed by a joint drinks reception for students and employers.
The conference, on Wednesday, June 7, will run from 9am – 5.30pm, and is open to all. The Employers’ Session will run from 3pm – 5.30pm.
Further information on the conference is available by visiting the website at: www.iscc.org.uk