EMPLOYABILITY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 09 putting international graduates to work

The focus on graduate employability might start with careers services, but it shouldn’t end there. International students often require more or different support to translate their skills into employment in the host country, but collaborations within and across institutions can help. }

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tudents from outside the UK and UK’s reputation as one of the best places the employability of their international the European Union are vital to for people from around the world to live, students. At the , the financial success and cultural study and work, it is vital that universities the careers service and business school Svibrancy of higher education in Britain. offer the support and opportunities that use WeChat to engage Chinese students The economic output generated through international students need to find success with careers support and connect them spending by international students and in what may become an increasingly un- to recruiters and businesses in China. their visitors in the UK is estimated at certain global climate and economy. created a Profes- sional Placement route for all its Master’s Only 28% of careers services offices feel able to programmes in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing, with an meet the level of international student demand accompanying 12-month preparation for careers and employability support module that has resulted in 177 inter- national students securing a year-long placement in the past two academic years. £25.8 billion a year,1 whilst the opportu- THE STATE OF PLAY ’s China Career nity to study alongside international peers To understand how UK universities Gateway programme is a series of bespoke gives home students a global network, prepare their international graduates for workshops to help Chinese students increases their awareness of cultural global success, the Association of Grad- develop strategies and skills to plan their sensitivities and better prepares them for uate Careers Advisory Services collabo- careers and make effective job applications working in a global environment. rated with Universities UK International in both China and the UK. The UK is second only to the United and various sector bodies to produce a States as the most popular study destina- report called ‘Supporting international THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION tion for international students, with more graduate employability: making good on Supporting international graduate em- than 450,000 studying here in 2017–2018. the promise’. This outlines good practices ployability is not without its challenges. Growth has been relatively flat since and recommends areas for continuous Careers services work hard to provide 2016, however, whilst other nations have improvement to ensure students receive tailored, effective support to a diverse stu- experienced double-digit increases. In the support they need to achieve their dent body to level the playing field after recognition of this – and perhaps to prove aspirations after graduation.4 graduation, yet only 28% of the careers that Britain still has a global outlook as it According to the Equality Challenge services offices involved in this research redefines its relationship with Europe – Unit (now Advance HE), “Providing feel able to meet the level of demand from the UK government launched an inter- equitable careers support does not mean international students for careers and national education strategy in 2019 that providing the same for every student […] employability support. featured an ambitious aim to increase the International students unfamiliar with the In response to these pressures, careers number of international students in the UK job market often require additional services around the UK have recognised country to 600,000 by 2030.2 or specific information and support that the benefits of working with other parts Employability is a critical consid- UK students would know already or have of their institution and other universities. eration for international students who access to through other sources Newcastle has developed a cross-depart- are deciding where to study, with recent and networks.”5 mental working group led by the careers research finding that targeting “good ‘Supporting international gradu- service to support and steer international career prospects after graduation” is ate employability’ uncovered a wealth student employability activity. The Uni- second only to choosing a degree subject of tailored initiatives that university versity of Warwick and the University of they enjoy.3 In order to maintain the careers services had created to develop Manchester have collaborated to deliver EMPLOYABILITY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 11

a China careers fair roadshow, whilst work to understand their international government policy affecting internation- Warwick is also working with the Uni- students’ post-graduation aspirations and al graduate employability. versity of Birmingham and the University put strategies in place to help meet them. Whilst we cannot accurately predict of Nottingham on a Work in China fair. The collaborators who produced ‘Sup- the impact of COVID-19 on student and Regional collaborations such as the GW4 porting international graduate employabil- graduate recruitment, initial research sug- Alliance and the Midlands International ity’ recently held a seminar to discuss four gests that the UK graduate employment Group are successfully pooling resources of the report’s main recommendations: market may be significantly disrupted.6 to deliver employability events and webi- The working group will play a vital role in nars for international students at scale. 1. Institutions should develop a strate- helping UK higher education to respond Despite these great examples, only gic approach to supporting the to this challenge and understand how 41% of universities collaborate with other employability of international to support international students during higher education institutions to support students and graduates. intense changes to the world of work. international graduate employability. 2. Institutions should establish a — GABI BINNIE To improve outcomes across the UK, cross-department working group

‘Supporting international graduate em- with responsibility for international 1. Universities UK. (30 July 2019). International ployability’ recommends that universities, student employability. facts and figures 2019. Retrieved from https://www. universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/ sector bodies and employers should col- 3. Institutions should consider ways of Pages/Intl-facts-figs-19.aspx lectively invest in research, pool resources embedding experiences that support 2. HM Government. (2019). International education strategy: Global potential, global growth. Retrieved to create shared labour market infor- the development of employability from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/ government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ mation for countries around the world, skills of international students. data/file/799349/International_Education_ invest in training for higher education and 4. Institutions should provide more op- Strategy_Accessible.pdf 3. UCAS. (2019). 2019 international insights. Re- career professionals, and consider ways to portunities for home and international trieved from https://www.ucas.com/file/320131/ support UK businesses in accessing the students to interact to ensure contin- download?token=AfU7rqhw pool of international graduate talent. uous improvement of international 4. Universities UK International. (2020).Supporting international graduate employability: Making good students’ English language skills. on the promise. Retrieved from THE NEXT STEPS https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analy- sis/reports/Documents/2020/Supporting-interna- Helping international students realise For each recommendation, attendees from tional-graduate-employability.pdf 5. Equality Challenge Unit. (2013). Careers services: their potential is not the role of careers across UK higher education shared their Supporting international students. Retrieved from services alone. Positive outcomes for in- successful initiatives and aimed to find https://www.ecu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/ external/careers-service-supporting-international- ternational students will only be achieved ways to turn the suggestions into reality. students.pdf 6. Hooley, T. (2020). COVID-19: Challenges for student recruitment and development. Institute of Student Employers. Retrieved from https://ise.org. Only 41% of UK universities collaborate with uk/page/ISEPublications other higher education institutions to support international graduate employability when those services work closely with Moving forwards, a working group alumni and professionals from interna- made up of universities, sector bodies tional student recruitment, international and international student representatives employer engagement and international will be formed to help implement the student support teams. Together, they can recommendations and influence