Scottish Inititatives - Attracting Fresh Talent to meet the challenge of growth

There are firm proposals to allow overseas students at Scottish universities to stay in Scotland after graduation.

First Minister Jack McConnell has said the Fresh Talent initiative is all about ambition to make Scotland the best place in the world to live and work.

In a major speech he said: “It is about more than just numbers of people. It is about ambition. I want Scotland to be the best place in the world to live and work, to be the most welcoming, and to be a magnet for the world’s brightest and best."

“We must now work with those students to encourage them to stay in Scotland after they graduate and we will draw together a strategy that will allow us to do exactly that before they graduate.”- First Minister, Jack McConnell

Highlights of the proposal

If the proposals come through Students would have more time to look for jobs.

The Scottish government has reached an agreement with the Home Office which will allow overseas graduates from Scottish universities, who express the intention of living and working in Scotland, to stay on for two years beyond the current October deadline,to seek employment

• Graduate will be allowed to remain in Scotland and seek any type of work during this time. After two years or earlier, graduates can switch into work permit employment or other legal migration routes for which they qualify.

• The scheme will be up and running by summer 2005, and will apply to those graduating that year.

• The government will fund a scholarship scheme for overseas graduates to allow them to combine a year of post-graduate study with a year of work experience. The scottish government is particularly keen to encourage scholarships in the area of entrepreneurship.

• From October 2004 the scottish government will appoint champions to encourage students to consider staying in Scotland after graduation.

• The scottish government will work with employers to encourage the provision of work placements and traineeships to high quality overseas graduates.

• There will be government funding to help universities to co-ordinate the recruitment and support of overseas students.

• The UK Government has agreed, in principle, to work over the longer term with the Scottish Executive to find ways of encouraging migrants to the UK to live and work in Scotland – within the UK policy of managed migration.

If the proposals come through Students would have more time to look for jobs.

Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme (SEGS)

Launched on Monday 25 October 2004, the Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme (SEGS) allows non-EEA nationals to remain in the UK for 12 months after their studies in order to pursue a career.

The scheme allows non-EEA nationals who have graduated from UK higher or further education establishments in certain physical sciences, mathematics and engineering subjects to remain in the UK for 12 months after their studies in order to pursue a career. Applicants may apply for leave under the scheme if they have extant leave as a student. Entry clearance is mandatory for those seeking leave to enter under the Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme.

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has created a list of eligible Science and Engineering courses that are identified as being in short supply. Only those who have studied approved courses are eligible to apply for leave under the scheme. The list of approved courses is available through the link below:

List of approved courses

For more information about the schemes please visit the below URL

http://www.workingintheuk.gov.uk/working_in_the_uk
/en/homepage/schemes_and_programmes/graduate_students.html