Jessica Tomico Go Global Team Leader, UWE Bristol
Universities and FE providers
Supporting regional export
The UWE Bristol International Talent programme provides International Students with opportunities to access UK business and employability activity whilst completing their academic studies at the University. Jessica Tomico, Go Global Team Leader from UWE Bristol, explains how through their recent pilot of an International Talent Summer Internship Scheme, overseas students were able to provide an international business asset to South West organisations by supporting regional export.
“The UK’s leading universities are becoming increasingly global in nature. This amplifies their success and contribution to the UK economy and society.” Universities UK International, May 2017.
As universities in the UK have become increasingly internationalised institutions, the potential and scope for cross-cultural collaboration with businesses can be harnessed.
A report published by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education on ‘Supporting and Enhancing the Experience of International Students in the UK’ affirms the need for Higher Education institutions to engage with employers, championing the international student body as a talent base of cultural knowledge, language skills and international expertise.
The University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) recognises the opportunity and obligation to play its part in enabling such collaborations and has set up the ‘International Talent’ scheme as part of global employability and enterprise provision. The programme aims to provide international students with work experience and access to UK businesses whilst completing their academic studies. Students provide
activity. UWE Bristol students from both within and outside the EU were recruited to work alongside regional businesses to support South West trading activity across a dynamic portfolio of global markets and a myriad different sectors ranging from food and drink through to manufacturing and digital technologies.
Feedback from ‘Yuyo Drinks Ltd’, a start-up company that engaged with the programme, highlights the invaluable contribution that an international student was able to make to their market growth: “In just ten days we were able to increase our understanding of a key export market. The international student’s cultural and linguistic skills were invaluable in this regard. It makes perfect sense for us to look outward and benefit from the skills of talented students.”
an international business asset to organisations by supporting with project work and export activity.
Employers are able to access a wide portfolio of services such as translation and interpreting, researching and identifying new markets, liaising with key suppliers, customers, and clients in specific markets, and providing cultural insight. The scheme is mutually beneficial: students hone their UK business acumen and employers are able to capitalise on students’ cultural and linguistic assets.
As part of programme provision, we recently piloted an ‘International Talent Summer Internship Scheme’ in partnership with Santander, which was promoted regionally through Chambers of Commerce and the Department for International Trade. The scheme provided funding for local SMEs who wished to recruit an international student intern to support international project work or export
The insights provided by UWE International Students are enhanced by the curriculum design that hones the development of critical graduate attributes, including global citizenship and cross-cultural awareness. The ‘International Talent’ scheme is supported by the University’s internationalisation and employability agenda which aims to promote the value and contribution that students are able to make to both UK and overseas graduate labour markets.
Data from UK Universities International highlights that the UK is an extremely popular destination for international students, attracting more students from abroad than any other country except the much larger USA. This presents growing opportunities in industry for both student and graduate recruitment. Today’s international students can be considered as the ‘consumers of tomorrow’ with the potential to support knowledge transfer, international cooperation and market expertise.
TheStudentEmployer
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