This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New service to attract Fresh Talent
24/09/2003
Plans to give practical help to people
and companies who are considering relocating to Scotland
were announced today.
A new one-stop advisory service will
be established by the Scottish government to assist those
who are interested in living and working in Scotland. The
aim is to create a fast, tailored service that makes
Scotland not just the easiest choice for fresh talent, but
the most attractive.
The unit will provide:
Advice on applying for and
processing visas and work permits, both for
employers and prospective employees such as
students
Advice for entrepreneurs,
including ethnic minority entrepreneurs,
who want to set up a business and
information on how to go about it
Advice on jobs, schools,
universities, housing and transport for individuals
and families considering relocating to
Scotland
First Minister Jack McConnell
said:
"I believe, increasingly, that people
will choose places to work because of factors like the
quality of life that they and their family will have when
they set up home.
"So we must make it a lot easier for
people and families to get all the information they need to
set up home here. Whether they are students from overseas
who are graduating, people or companies looking for work
permits, or refugees who have been granted asylum in the
UK, Scotland should be the first to respond.
"We therefore plan to set up a
'one-stop' service to help advise on jobs, accommodation,
visas, work permits, school and university
opportunities.
"The purpose is to give practical help
to those interested in living and working in Scotland. Key
partners will be business and the universities because an
important target audience is students from outwith
Scotland.
"We must be honest about addressing
our problems but we must also be bold about our
achievements. To talk up our success stories - and there is
a lot to talk up."
Early research for the Scottish
government has shown that Scotland does not figure
internationally as a top destination to set up home.
One small-scale survey suggests that
Scotland ranks behind the Scandinavia, the South East of
England and Switzerland. Mr McConnell said he wants nothing
less than for Scotland to climb the international league
table.
The action plan outlined by the First
Minister is intended to be phased in from early 2004. The
structure and resources for the unit will be announced in
due course. In developing this idea, the Scottish
government will work in close partnership with all other
related organisations, including the Home Office.
The First Minister was speaking at a
seminar jointly organised by the Executive and CBI Scotland
to generate ideas on how to attract people to live and work
in Scotland.
The seminar
was sponsored byBAAScottishAirports, BT Scotland and Lloyds TSB Scotland.
Leading representatives from the private, public, higher
education and voluntary sectors participated and
contributed ideas.
The Fresh Talent initiative was
announced by the First Minister is a speech on February
25.
A Fresh Talent Implementation Team
has been set up within the Executive and it is expected
to report to Ministers at the end of this year.