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. Since 2007 / 2008, a consortium including the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS), the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU) and the National Association of Student Employment Services (NASES) have been delivering a range of activities to support international students and graduates directly, by supporting the careers and employability staff advising them, and by engaging employers who are potential recruiters of them.

The projects are outlined briefly below:

			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 15 key countries (in conjunction with i-graduate)
			an Induction and Orientation Package
			an award winning Mentoring Package
			specific information aimed at international students developed on morethanwork, the NASES student website
			resources such as a virtual learning environment and an online community on internationalisation and employability for careers and employment staff
			training courses to meet the needs of careers and employment advisors in their day to day work with international students.
			dissemination of 'best practice' initiatives for careers and employment staff working with international students
			study visits to India and China resulting in reports with tips, contacts and recommendations
			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)
			high profile events for employers aimed primarily at those who are unsure how to recruit international talent
			the International Student Employee of the Year Award, a national competition to recognise and promote the contributions and achievements of international students who combine part-time work with study
			projects to maximise the use of international students’ language skills in part-time employment whilst studying in the UK
			upcoming projects include the International Virtual Careers Fair, the development of a central online resource of employment opportunities for international students and graduates, and innovative pilot projects on international alumni networks, contact and case studies
			a booklet entitled A guide for employers recruiting international students and graduates (369KB) which is a sister publication of a leaflet entitled Find 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.