These sessions explored the issues from two main perspectives.

Employers and international education
Employers value international education experience as an asset – a highly educated and trained workforce is essential for sustaining economic growth in modern knowledge-based economies.

The growing impact of technology and the imperative for countries to keep pace with innovation encourages internationalisation, promoting student mobility and seeking new approaches in education and training.

Employment and employer issues include a number of questions:

			what is the attitude of employers regarding the skills and competencies of staff who have obtained international education qualifications?
			what special programmes could be developed to meet employers’ needs?
			are there any examples of good and poor experiences from which lessons might be learnt?

Skilled migration and international education
International students are an increasingly important means of meeting skills gaps in the labour force, particularly in Australia, Canada, Europe and the USA.

Immigration policies in a number of countries have been modified to attract qualified and skilled immigrants and make up for any shortfall. Encouraging migration through education can therefore form part of a deliberate national immigration strategy.

These sessions explored:

			future patterns of demand and skilled migration and the potential role of international education
			a variety of country strategies to promote skilled migration
			immigration and visa arrangements
			the ethical and economic issues associated with recruitment of skilled workers from poorer societies.

These sessions offered the opportunity to gain greater insights, improve knowledge, share experience and contribute to discussion around each of these areas.