Context
This event was held due to feedback from both staff and Huddersfield’s large body of international students that international graduates are struggling to gain UK-based, graduate-level employment, often due to employers stating that they need to have the right to work in the UK and not require sponsorship.
The event took place online for 90 minutes on 30th March, and was recorded for future circulation. Regional employers and relevant university staff were invited to attend.
Action & approach
This event was a collaborative activity between two university departments:
- the Careers and Employability Service who invited speakers and chaired the event, and
- the Kirklees Top 100 Team, who look after the Kirklees Top 100 employers, invited the attendees and looked after the follow-up.
The event was split into 3 parts:
- The Head of Careers interviewed two non-UK-national, Huddersfield graduates about their experiences to date of trying to gain graduate-level employment in the UK.
- Two employers, one international and one local, spoke of the benefits of employing international graduates.
- An immigration law firm gave practical advice around visas and removed barriers to employing international graduates.
Impact
The outcomes for the different stakeholders were as follows:
- The non-UK-national graduates were given a platform on which to tell their stories and explain what international graduates can bring to UK employers.
- The two employer speakers were able to impart their experience on the subject, whilst also promoting their services to the attendees.
- The immigration law firm was able to advise attending employers, whilst also promoting their services.
- The university was able to evidence that we are trying to help international graduates to gain UK-based, graduate-level employment by facilitating this event to educate employers. As we recorded the session, we have captured the advice to circulate to future employers.
- The attendees learned how international graduates can benefit their business, and how to go about hiring them.
Out of the 10 regional employers (including the University of Huddersfield), who signed up to attend the event, representatives from 6 actually attended, and all were sent the recording afterwards, along with contact details of the two employer speakers, the immigration law firm and the University of Huddersfield’s Business Partnership Team, plus further information: Institute of Student Employers (ISE) Guide on Recruiting International Graduates.
Conclusions & advice
There are no next steps to the project planned currently. However, the day before this event, the Careers and Employability Service held an event for international students called: ‘How to find a job in the UK’. Therefore, the ‘International Graduate Recruitment Info Session for Regional Employers’ was, in essence, the second step of this project.
As the ‘International Graduate Recruitment Info Session’ was recorded, we plan to circulate it beyond those who signed up, as we sometimes get asked for advice around recruiting international graduates. This will be the event’s legacy
