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Chapter Six Conclusions and recommendations
Introduction
6.1 As explored in Chapter 1, encouraging in-migration is a key component in tackling the problems associated with a declining population and for strengthening Scotland's economy. Through conducting research with recent in-migrants, this study has addressed people's motivations for relocating to Scotland ( Chapter 2), what their perceptions of the country are ( Chapter 3), and identified what makes the experience more difficult ( Chapter 4) or easier ( Chapter 5).
6.2 This chapter considers implications of the findings of this research study on the future direction of the Fresh Talent initiative in two ways. First and foremost it raises and considers key questions for the Initiative and for clarifying the public sector's strategic approach to managing in-migration. Secondly, the chapter provides specific recommendations of practical activities that could be undertaken to encourage people to in-migrate, make their relocation easier and encourage them to stay on.
Key questions for the Fresh Talent Initiative
6.3 Although it is clearly acknowledged that Scotland needs to encourage in-migration to strengthen its economy, current strategy needs to be clarified and communicated more effectively, as addressed by the questions below. This is followed by a discussion of the issue of limited economic opportunity in Scotland - a key theme emerging from the research both with organisations and individuals. We also consider Scotland and its cities compared with other destinations competing for in-migrants.
6.4 From this research study, 3 key questions emerged for those involved in aspects of managed migration and the Fresh Talent Initiative:
- Is it important to encourage people to relocate permanently, or are there merits in attracting people who wish to stay for shorter time periods?
- Who does Scotland want to attract, and who should be targeted?
- How can the public, private and academic sectors work together to further develop managed migration?
Is it important to encourage people to relocate permanently, or are there merits in attracting people who wish to stay for shorter time periods?
6.5 This research indicates that the people who had the most positive relocation experience were the Pragmatists and World Citizens, i.e. those who were motivated to relocate for economic reasons above any desire to change their lifestyle. They faced fewer barriers to settling in, as they had more manageable expectations, and as epitomised by their typology they came to Scotland with economic opportunities in place. However, although these two groups were happy with their relocations on the whole, they were the most likely to say that they did not see their move to Scotland as a permanent one.
6.6 Scotland has many benefits to reap from such short term relocations, including:
- The contribution to the economy of in-migrants who enter Scotland with pre-arranged opportunities
- The positive experiences these people have had of Scotland which they will go onto share with others by word of mouth in their future destinations (the most common source of in-migrants' knowledge of life in Scotland was by word of mouth)
- In-migrants who relocate to Scotland non-permanently will prove less of a burden on its public services in the long term, e.g. pension provisions, while contributing to the economy by paying taxes and spending in the short term
- Having a variety of in-migrants who move to Scotland for a short period of time increases exposure to other cultures for Scotland's businesses and people
- This would result in a country with a dynamic in-migrant population that is constantly refreshing itself and would attract others in the future
6.7 Those who relocated because they were pursuing a lifestyle change tended to be moving to Scotland without prior economic opportunities arranged. In these cases they had trouble settling in and had less pleasant relocation experiences. There were a number of examples of highly skilled people reluctantly setting up businesses because they could not find suitable employment opportunities. As a consequence, where external support had been provided, this was not always appreciated. Such businesses were often struggling as this was a forced, rather than chosen option, and it could be argued may be difficult to sustain.
6.8 In summary, findings from the research suggest that Scotland's economy would benefit from explicit targeting of Pragmatists and World Citizens. These groups are not necessarily moving to Scotland with the intention of it being on a permanent basis, but make valuable contributions whilst they are here, and have the most positive experiences.
Who does Scotland want to attract, and who should be targeted?
6.9 A key finding from this study is that the in-migrants who had moved to Scotland were unaware of who Scotland wanted to attract. There was a lack of clarity about who Fresh Talent was targeted at and what the Initiative was trying to do. On the one hand Scotland was seen as having a very open, forward-thinking attitude to in-migration and portrayed itself as a country that welcomed everyone, no matter what their background or skill level. However, this was contrasted by the impression that Fresh Talent exists to only encourage the in-migration of bright, young people. A number of returning Scots and those from the rest of the UK thought Fresh Talent was only aimed at those from overseas. There is scope therefore to state clearly the objectives of Fresh Talent; to highlight who it is aimed at; and to ensure these key messages are appropriately communicated to target audiences.
How can the public, private and academic sectors work together to encourage managed migration, and make relocation easier?
6.10 There was a strong sense of confusion around the current roles and responsibilities of public sector organisations in relation to encouraging people to in-migrate to Scotland. There are a number of organisations who have a role in managed migration, and our research highlighted the need to clarify the roles and responsibilities of those organisations, as well as to develop further partnerships between them. Both in-migrants and the organisations working with them often commented on not knowing how the Scottish Executive differed from Scottish Enterprise, nor how Fresh Talent differed from Talent Scotland. Other people suggested ways in which they could have been helped during the decision making process and the move itself, but were unclear about who would provide that help.
6.11 The private sector has an important part to play in helping to encourage in-migration from the perspective of making the relocation process a straightforward one. From both the interviews with organisations that had contact with in-migrants, and in-migrants themselves, there was a call for public bodies to work more closely with the private sector. Relocation agencies (both company in-house and independent) felt that they had a lot of expertise and experience that the Scottish Executive could capitalise on. Through years of working with in-migrants and helping them settle in, they knew their client base well, and were enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge, and existing services, with the Executive.
Other key considerations
Limited economic opportunity
6.12 This study found that before relocating to Scotland, some in-migrants were concerned about a lack of economic opportunities for highly skilled positions in most industries. While the research included only those who had successfully relocated, it is possible that such perceptions act as a barrier to relocation for others. Our research found that once people had relocated, their worries about lack of suitable employment opportunities were at times confirmed. This was identified in both the individual depth interviews, and the focus groups with in-migrants as a strong barrier to relocating and staying on in Scotland. It was particularly found to be the case for couples, where there was difficulty in two people both finding suitable employment.
6.13 Notwithstanding the position relating to couples, in general Pragmatists and World Citizens were satisfied with their employment experience. An exception was post graduate students, most of whom were Pragmatists. Their experience is covered in more detail below. Lifestage Returners and Lifestyle Pursuers noted employment difficulties relatively often. On occasion, returning Scots suggested that the limited opportunity had led them to revise their plans to remain permanently in Scotland; instead they were becoming open once again to moving elsewhere.
6.14 An emerging concern about the Fresh Talent Working in Scotland Scheme was that it raised expectations that were not matched by experience. Whilst it may help to attract graduates and has developed a mechanism to assist them to stay on after graduation, suitable economic opportunities do not necessarily exist in Scotland. The problem of lack of suitable employment opportunities for post graduates was also highlighted in previous research (Harrison, 2003).
6.15 Some post graduates who were still studying said that they would like to continue living in Scotland, but would not be able to given that they would have to go elsewhere to gain suitable employment. Post graduates who had recently graduated expressed frustration at the lack of employment opportunities available to them in Scotland, more so amongst those who did not want to go into academia. As a result they were working in jobs that did not use the skills they had gained and were unhappy with this position. This was neither to their, nor Scotland's advantage. Given the reliance on word of mouth in selecting a place of study for future post graduates, it is particularly important that current students have positive experiences in Scotland.
Competing with other destinations
6.16 Evidence from this research suggests that Scotland's cities are not viewed as 'world class' by many of the in-migrants who moved here. The cultural opportunities of Edinburgh and Glasgow and the academic reputation of Scotland's universities were commonly acknowledged and in-migrants were often pleasantly surprised by aspects of life in Scotland, including transport links being better than expected for some, the easy access to outdoor life, and the friendly nature of Scottish people. However, Scotland clearly did not offer the career opportunities, or have the international and dynamic reputation of say London or San Francisco. Even those who were happy in their jobs were aware that in order to progress their career, they may have to look to other locations for further opportunities. From the in-migrant perspective Scotland's cities cannot compete in most industries with the major world population centres in offering the depth and breadth of attractive employment opportunities.
6.17 Some of the younger in-migrants (post graduates and first- and second-jobbers) saw their move to Scotland as a first step to becoming World Citizens. For example one employee who had come from London, described his relocation to Edinburgh as testing the water for bigger moves. For those coming from the rest of the UK, moving to Scotland felt like they had moved to a different country, but one which was relatively 'safe'. They were physically removed from their home country, whilst not having large physical distances to travel; language and cultural barriers to overcome; or visas and immigration to negotiate.
Practical recommendations
6.18 Many of the practical recommendations made by people who had relocated to Scotland were already in place by the Scottish Executive or other public bodies. However, the fact that suggestions were made for initiatives that already existed, indicated a clear lack of awareness of the support and advice available. These included the functions of:
- The Relocation Advisory Service
- Funding available for new businesses through the Enterprise Networks
- The Talent Scotland website
- The 'scotlandistheplace' website
- The Working in Scotland Scheme for graduates
6.19 Other recommendations made were in areas that the Executive is already aware of and in some cases is already addressing:
- Difficulties people from overseas and returners face in opening bank accounts
- Problems with recognition of professional qualifications gained overseas
- Problems with lack of transport options to and from remote areas, and direct international flights from Scottish cities to other cities
As well as tackling the overarching problem of the lack of a coherent strategic approach to in-migration, the following are practical recommendations for encouraging in-migration, making relocation an easier process, and helping people to settle in, as concluded from the interviews with in-migrants.
Encouraging in-migration
Extending the Working in Scotland Scheme
6.20 Given that many students will have left Scotland after graduating to pursue life in other countries, it is suggested that the Working in Scotland Scheme is extended to anyone who has left a Scottish University in the last ten years. In-migration across countries is more fluid than ever and therefore, there is greater flexibility as to at what life and career stage people make relocation decisions. Extending the period of time since people have graduated may attract more experienced candidates who may have less problems finding suitable employment.
Scottish Executive and employer alliances
6.21 The Scottish Executive wants Fresh Talent to encourage in-migration; there are in-migrants who want to move to Scotland but are put off by the lack of economic opportunity; and there are some employers with skills shortages. One practical suggestion to marry these three needs would be to have a partnership between the Executive and employers who could jointly attend careers fairs outwith Scotland. The Executive would benefit from advertising the employment opportunities alongside its usual message of Scotland offering a good lifestyle.
Help for small to medium businesses to recruit from overseas
6.22 There was a concern that some employers were put off recruiting from overseas as they were not comfortable with the perceived time and costs involved, and their concerns over retention. Employers could be offered incentives to recruit in-migrant staff, and smaller employers could be offered help to do this. Linked to the previous point, some employers already offer support to their staff when relocating, and actively recruits from overseas itself. This report recommends that the Scottish Executive looks at some case studies of what is being done to learn from them.
Promoting awareness of Scotland's meritocratic work culture
6.23 It was reported by some in-migrants that the sense that young people in particular can get the opportunity to take on responsible work roles is not one experienced in all work cultures. Promoting this amongst overseas graduates and within the specific sectors that Scotland wants to attract is recommended.
Targeted marketing for the public sector's business support strategy
6.24 All entrepreneurs that were approached by public bodies to relocate or set up their business in Scotland, were not previously aware of the support on offer. Upon taking up the support and relocating, they were all very satisfied with the outcomes, however, felt that Scotland needed to target the business sectors to which the available services would be relevant, and inform them of it.
Tax breaks to attract and retain entrepreneurs
6.25 A number of in-migrants cited examples of this being done in other countries and thought that offering tax breaks to in-migrant entrepreneurs would show that Scotland is serious about fresh talent.
Recommendations to help the relocation and settling in
Inter-cultural training for overseas in-migrants
6.26 Certain aspects of Scottish culture came as a surprise to in-migrants from overseas, especially that of socialising around alcohol. An employer who provided inter-cultural training to the partners of employees who relocated, found that it helped them settle in. It is recommended that this kind of training is piloted amongst more employers, and in universities, for very recent in-migrants.
Training and guidance in customer service and managed migration policies for British Embassy staff abroad
6.27 There were complaints from in-migrants from overseas of unsatisfactory and rude customer service from British Embassy staff abroad. To convey Scotland's message - that it is serious about encouraging in-migration and welcoming new in-migrants - the image presented, at this first port of call for many in-migrants, must be improved. It is recommended that steps are made to convey this to Embassy staff.
Promoting employers' awareness of the Fresh Talent Working in Scotland Scheme
6.28 It was reported amongst post graduates that some were having difficulty finding suitable employment whilst on the Fresh Talent visa, and had to take up employment unaligned to their career plans. One explanation for this was that employers were unfamiliar with the Scheme and reluctant to employ them. Given that the visa is for a limited period of two years, it is important that to maximize its advantages, those on the visa move into suitable employment soon after graduating. Once it has been agreed which sectors Scotland particularly wants to recruit in-migrants for, it is recommended that employers in this sector are targeted and made aware of the Scheme.
Creating an 'arrivals package'
6.29 Many in-migrants expressed frustration around the practical elements of relocating to Scotland, especially around being unaware of how taxation and other administrative systems worked. In particular, council tax came as a surprise to many. It is recommended that new in-migrants from overseas are provided with an 'arrivals package' made available at international arrival ports. This should include information and contacts on key factors, including Council Tax, immigration procedures, finding accommodation, Inland Revenue, Business Gateway and support networks.
Making it easier to open bank accounts
6.30 This was a key frustration reported by many in-migrants from overseas. As well as the practical problems, difficulties and delays in opening bank accounts caused new in-migrants to feel like they were not trusted, which reflected on the country as a whole as giving an inadequate welcome. It is recommended that the public sector do what is within their power to make it more straightforward for overseas in-migrants to open bank accounts. This would also include providing clear guidance for in-migrants as to what documents they have to supply in opening an account.
Making it easier to get mobile phone contracts
6.31 As with bank accounts, in-migrants had problems accessing other services, including getting mobile phone contracts. Having to use 'pay as you go' mobile phones created a sense of transience for some, and it is recommended that efforts are made to make mobile phone contracts more easily available.
6.32 It should be noted that addressing practical issues alone will not substantially affect the in-migration process. To manage the migration process successfully, the strategic issues discussed earlier in the chapter need to be addressed first and foremost.
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