Among students who are considering the UK as a study destination, there are strong expectations that a UK qualification will not only increase job prospects, but that there will be opportunities to gain work experience either during or after their studies. Building on initiatives such as Fresh Talent and the International Graduates Scheme, the new points based system immigration category known as tier 1 post-study aims to open up further potential opportunities for international students by allowing them to work following their studies for up to two years.

The theme of employability runs throughout PMI2 and employability is central to the UK’s overseas marketing campaigns. In 2007 / 2008, a consortium including the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS), the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU), the National Association of Student Employment Services (NASES) and the National Council for Work Experience (NCWE) have been delivering a range of activities to support international students, including the following:

			on-line databases of employing organisations within the UK and overseas, designed to include work experience, internship or voluntary work, as well as graduate opportunities
			a series of 'country guides' on nine key countries (in conjunction with i-graduate)
			a report with tips, contacts and recommendations arising from a visit to China in March 2009
			dissemination of 'best practice' initiatives for careers and employment staff working with international students
			a range of courses and resources on internationalisation and employability for careers and employment staff
			a programme of training on cultural awareness skills training for careers / employment and other staff
			engagement of employers with regards to communicating the benefits and regulations around employing international students (in conjunction with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE))
			a leaflet entitled Finding your way to work, specifically designed to inform international students and employers about the regulations for working in the UK.

For further information on these projects, please visit the NASES website or contact pmi2emp@liv.ac.uk.