The Scottish Government

« Previous | Contents | Next »

Listen

Chapter Seven Developing Fresh Talent

Achievements of FTI: Scotland's global sense of place

7.1 It is said that wine needs age to mature to the point at which an experienced wine taster might make a valuable judgements as to its quality. Young wine can never be judged to be good or bad as such assessments would be hasty and unjust. The exigencies of political life rarely afford policy agendas - like that of Fresh Talent - such a luxury. In any case, young wine often has special spirit to it that age mellows and extinguishes.

7.2 The Fresh Talent Initiative has recorded a host of significant achievements in spite of its comparative youth. The details of these achievements, in terms of specific projects, have been described in the previous chapters. Here, and standing back, it is important to recognise the profound contributions which FT has already made to Scottish life.

7.3 The globalisation of economic activity has not always created a parallel growth in cosmopolitanism. As nations become caught up in global flows of capital, people, goods, information, and culture, there often exists a temptation to lapse into primordial and defensive senses of place; the line between 'them' and 'us' comes to be drawn more sharply. Exploiting irrational fears and cultural stereotypes, some groups have been quick to argue for fortress mentalities.

7.4 The Fresh Talent Initiative is to be welcomed as a far-sighted counter to such trends. FT recognises that Scotland will fare better in the global economy if it positions itself as an outward looking, diverse, tolerant, and open society. In a sense, FT makes a bold statement about Scotland's preparedness to embrace a progressive 'global sense of place' and to exercise leadership in defining how small nations must orient themselves if they are to compete in the 21st century economy. FT reveals a Scotland which is confident of its relations with the rest of the world and which revels in the potential benefits which flow from becoming a meeting point or honey pot for talented people.

7.5 Even at this early stage, four ways can be identified to illustrate how FT might be said to be active in cultivating a 'progressive' global sense of place for Scotland.

Changing the attitudes of Scots to outsiders

7.6 FT makes a statement that Scotland occupies a particular niche within British immigration policy and sends out a strong signal to Scots that Scotland is seeking to be more open to 'outsiders' than other nations and regions in the United Kingdom. FT has garnered solid support from Scottish universities and colleges and helped to consolidate and fortify ongoing efforts to attract overseas students. In addition, it is working to change the attitudes of Scottish employers to overseas talent by making them more aware of the virtues of this talent and by demystifying Home Office migration schemes.

Changing the attitudes of outsiders to Scotland

7.7 FT has generated substantial press coverage across the world and there has been useful tracking of the press coverage associated with specific programmes. There can be no doubt that FT has put Scotland more firmly onto the map as a possible destination for overseas talent and FT has enjoyed success as a marketing tool or branding device. FT has reached beyond traditional markets in the rest of the UK, Australia, Canada, the US, and Europe, to awaken fresh interest in the Accession States in Eastern Europe and the far east, including the important markets of China and India.

Widening and lubricating the channels through which people relocate to Scotland

7.8 In so far as it serves as a one stop shop for people thinking of relocating to Scotland, the Relocation Advisory Service helps to remove impediments to relocation and facilitates the passage of migrants into Scotland. FT has also mobilised actors who control key routes into Scotland and helped to widen these channels. Whilst Scottish Universities and Colleges have been targeted for greatest attention to date, it is clear that channels more pertinent to business are now being focussed upon.

Deepening overseas talent's engagements with Scotland

7.9 FT helps to thread and embed overseas students into the Scottish labour market and to improve their chances of remaining as part of the labour force beyond graduation. It has introduced a series of flanking supports for overseas students which have enhanced their experience of Scotland, improved their quality of life and their sense of social, cultural, and economic inclusion. It has also helped talent to connect and stick with Scottish business by improving the ability of overseas workers to contribute more effectively to the needs of Scottish business and helping students 'fit' into Scottish companies more readily.

Improving the quality: practical actions points

7.10 Inevitably, in blending together different ingredients to meet the challenge of giving Scotland a global sense of place, some aspects have proved less effective than others. Throughout the report there have been a number of suggested areas for action arising from this review's assessment of progress to date. This section summarises these.

Rationale for FT

7.11 Although recent evidence indicates a diminishing in the immediate demographic imperative to overturn a downward trend in population, the fundamentals associated with an ageing population remain pertinent - and the population trend in Scotland is less positive than elsewhere in the UK or much of the EU. Further, the latest projections do emphasise the long-term nature of the demographic issues being addressed by Fresh Talent and do underline how even relatively small adjustments in the level of net migration to Scotland can impact on its demography . It will be vital that continuing monitoring of migration flows into and out of Scotland is maintained and FTI is informed by this (3.24).

7.12 In contrast to other nations who have forged their own policies to manage migration, the Executive is limited in the interventions in can make in this area. It needs to negotiate local variations to the UK policy. The managed migration proposals for the UK offer the Executive new opportunities to reposition FT in future. Under the proposed scheme, FT should focus on: attracting talent amongst high skill graduates into areas of skill shortages in Scotland, international students for short periods of time, and workers within the EU/ EEA (3.47).

7.13 Future skills surveys in Scotland point to the current and short-term future position of some, but not exceptional, skills shortages and hard to fill vacancies. However, there is also evidence that, in a growing economy, there will be a requirement for new labour and that the pool in Scotland of those seeking employment is declining. In the short term, there is limited evidence of an imperative amongst employers to seek talented labour outside of Scotland. A key task for FT is to bridge this divide, encouraging business to look forward and to be more active in embracing talent from within and outside of Scotland (3.54).

Understanding migration

7.14 Although some research on migrants' experience in Scotland has been commissioned under FT, it is evident that there remains limited knowledge about the motivations which bring migrants to Scotland. Further, there is very poor quality data currently available to track migrants who enter Scotland. Research in this area will be essential if FT is to be able to work effectively at attracting and retaining talent through migration (3.31).

7.15 The recently commissioned research by the Executive ( TNS System Three, 2006) offers an initial insight into the motivations of migrants relocating to Scotland, the barriers (real and perceived) which affect such decisions, and the differences between prior knowledge of Scotland and the experience to be had through migration. However, the utility of the study is hampered by the small and selective nature of the sample size. There is scope in future research for greater tailoring of interviewees to either the current characteristics of migrants - by location of origin (eg from the UK, elsewhere in the EU, outside of the EU), by affinity with Scotland (returnees, prior work/living experience of Scotland), by skill level, and by employment. Such research would fit more neatly into the aims of FT and provide more definitive and targeted insights to the key groups of talent being sought under the initiative (5.81).

7.16 There also remain some distinct gaps in knowledge which are of relevance to FT. Most of these relate to an understanding of the factors which shape the propensity of people to migrate and the experiential aspects of the migration process - from the initial decision to consider relocation through to the assimilation within a new set of communities (5.98).

Specific FT schemes

Relocation Advisory Service

7.17 It is important that the further evaluation of RAS currently being conducted by Ipsos Mori addresses similar areas as those of the 2005 review, but also examines issues of sustainability of the service. In particular, the option of RAS being relocated itself as a separate body, perhaps as a distinct unit, should be considered. This would enable the FT team to focus on new developments, and for the RAS team to focus on delivery of the advisory service. The review should also consider the skills and human resources of RAS in light of the new UK managed migration scheme (5.25).

Fresh Talent Working in Scotland Scheme

7.18 FTWiSS offers a unique source of information relating to migration into Scotland. As noted in Chapter 2, knowledge of why migrants come to Scotland, their locations and subsequent histories is limited. There is an opportunity through FTWiSS follow up questionnaires and surveys to improve this knowledge base. In determining the future direction of FTI, such knowledge could prove invaluable (5.33).

Marketing/International Image

7.19 There needs to be a longer-term and more qualitative assessment of how perceptions of Scotland (replacing kilts and tartan with diversity and openness for example) have been changed through international marketing. This could involve questionnaires or interviews with a sample of e-visitors to the website or a follow up to those participants in trade and careers fairs or to special events. Alternatively, or additionally, this might usefully be assessed through repeat research in 3-5 years time with those involved in the Executive's 2004 research to identify the extent to which perceptions of key groups have altered. Further, longitudinal research could be conducted with members within the networks ( GfoS, GlobalScot, SNI) to map out the changing perceptions of this already informed group about Scotland's image internationally (5.61, 5.62).

Scotland is the place/Global Friends of Scotland

7.20 The development plans to provide a stronger 'gateway' website portal mark an obvious approach to reduce the costs associated with website maintenance and to further customise the information being supplied to members of the network, to other partners and to a wider, global audience. Opportunities also exist for this single site to target specific diasporic communities in future (5.77).

Scottish Networks International

7.21 The proposal for a bi-annual conference and smaller events to meet with employers in different regions and for commissioned research to understand the barriers and benefits of employing a diverse workforce for SMEs should help offer stronger connections with business in Scotland. In contrast to the rigorous entry interviews to the scheme, there is relatively limited follow-up research of each year's cohort to gain sights from their individual experiences and this could usefully be a joint area of evaluation by the British Council and the Executive (5.87).

Supporting other activities

7.22 Although, at this stage, it is not possible to quantify the impact of both DARE and EDGE in terms of longer term attraction of talent, the two schemes already offer benefits towards FT goals. Connecting businesses with overseas (and local) talent, making overseas students aware of opportunities in the Scottish economy, and creating a group of young advocates for Scotland point to these both offering good value for money. In addition, in the coming year, the tailored feedback and evaluation of these two schemes being requested by the FT team will provide some much needed insights to potential migrants' views of opportunities in Scotland. If opportunities to further support such schemes emerge - for example, through a roll out of EDGE in other areas of Scotland - the Executive should consider supporting these (5.96).

Other policy areas

7.23 Whilst there is clear evidence of explicit links being made between FT and other policy areas within the Scottish Executive, there are also gaps. Although challenging, in reaching its desire to make FT cross-cutting, the Executive should ensure that, where relevant, strategies and policy announcements in those areas which support FT indicate how they support FT goals. Further, in announcing the budgets and financial statements, the Executive should make explicit the cross-cut expenditure on FT (5.104).

Target Groups

Students

7.24 Scottish universities and colleges have welcomed FT as an important asset in their wider efforts to compete for a healthy share of the lucrative overseas students market. Based upon the above analyses of FT's ongoing programmes designed to attract and retain overseas students, however six main action points present themselves. These action points require responses not only from the FT team but from all stakeholders. Discussion between stakeholders will be required to establish which particular action points they might prioritise and for which they will take responsibility:

• there would appear to be scope for FT to forge stronger working relationships with service departments in Scottish universities. In particular there might be merit in FT and AGCAS forming a stronger partnership when programmes of mutual interest are being conceived, launched, and managed (perhaps through the Advisory Group);
• a fine balance has to be struck between aggressively selling Scotland to overseas students in a highly competitive market place, and overselling Scotland. The expectations of overseas students needs to be managed carefully to avoid the scheme rebounding on universities and colleges and the Scottish Executive;
• the reluctance of some employers to appoint overseas students might be alleviated by: a) investing in schemes at opportune time windows designed to improve overseas students command of English, and b) advocating and simplifying the methods through which FTWiSS participants might pass on to other immigration schemes including the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme and/or work permits;
• in time, more detailed analyses of market trends might be made. It will be impossible to gauge whether any changes in particular kinds of student demand have been caused by FT, but it will be valuable to assess whether trends are going in the right direction and by what degree;
• there is a need to commission a longitudinal qualitative study tracking the experiences of students who navigate through the Scottish education system and FT programmes in different ways. It might be that this research could be integrated into a wider Challenge Fund bid in 2006-2007; and
• it is recommended that decisions are reached as to who ought to be responsible for financing and collecting information on the career trajectories of extra EU students who have graduated from Scottish universities and colleges. At present, there is a gap and the only data which is available is that collected by the FT team - tracking FTWiSS applicants. Until this matter is resolved consideration might be given to the questionnaire FT uses, the method of distribution and collection, and the advanced cross tabulations and modelling which might be possible given the existing data (eg salary levels, nature of employment etc). This is the most valuable data set in existence and as such it might benefit from nurturing at this point.

Business

People seeking employment

7.25 There is scope for FT to assist further in supporting people into employment in Scotland. This could involve adapting some of the approaches currently applied to students to employees; for example (6.72):

• creating an effective web-based market place for businesses seeking to recruit workers and individuals looking to move to Scotland (or the UK) to work so that they can 'meet'. This may be a function for the Scotland is the place website and could involve a voluntary register of those interested in working in Scotland
• providing or linking with an after-care service for individuals and families who do move to Scotland to enable them to settle in quickly, thereby increasing the likelihood that they will be retained

Changing employers' attitudes

7.26 Whilst there is merit in informing and educating the business community on how to recruit overseas to overcome skill shortages, to de-mystify the visa/work permit system and lubricate recruitment channels into foreign labour markets, and provide a source of expertise to companies and individuals with work permit/visa problems, this is unlikely to be sufficient to increase significantly opportunities for in-migrants. More fundamental mind shifts are required. In particular, employers in Scotland - and especially those smaller companies who have had no experience of overseas labour - need to be exposed to fresh talent, enabling them to gain positive, first hand knowledge of this talent. This could include (6.74, 6.75):

• greater involvement of businesses in Scotland within the global networks already in place. This could make them more aware of the nature and skill levels of overseas workers and also highlight their affinity to Scotland and support for the Scottish economy.
• provide more opportunities for international students studying in Scotland (either under FT schemes or more generally) to have opportunities on work placements. Given their linguistic abilities (necessary for entry to HIEs and SCs) this would assist in overcoming the perceived language barriers of employers and expose them to strengths of migrant labour.

7.27 To counter the low-skill base in migrant labour, FT could develop its own programme of attracting highly skilled talent to Scotland. This could involve (6.76):

• an inward-entrepreneur programme that is distinct from any UK scheme, to attract individuals and teams to locate new business ventures in Scotland, thus emphasising the higher skilled nature of some migrants. This should include targeting non-Scottish students who are studying at Scottish universities on a permanent or visiting basis. This focus on individual entrepreneurs would complement SDI which focuses on the attraction of businesses.

7.28 In conjunction with Executive's Broadband Strategy and the wider appeal of Scotland's quality of life, FT could aim to attract independent knowledge workers who set up businesses, by (6.77):

• promoting Scotland's success in home-working and the support provided by the Executive and other partners to assist independent knowledge workers to create businesses in Scotland.

Returnee Scots

7.29 It is recommended that attention is given to the research currently being progressed under the Arts and Humanities Research Council's 'Diasporas, migration and identities' programme in order to inform FT about the approaches and methods being used to study and engage with diasporean communities across the world (6.94).

Taking FT forward: options for future development

7.30 This final section considers more operational and logistical dimensions of the development of FT and evaluative measures which could be adopted to assess FT's future success. In particular, the discussion of a number of possible scenarios recognises that the Executive is only able to influence migration decisions to a limited extent and that FT involves increasing partnerships with other agencies in Scotland, with government at the UK level, with business in Scotland and overseas, and with individuals across the world who can support the aims of FT.

7.31 Based on the evidence identified from this research, a number of scenarios for FTs future development are proposed. In discussing each of these, it is recognised that there are a number of key issues which will condition judgements about the virtues and vices of each:

• The rationale of Fresh Talent, especially in relation to demography
• The target population groups
• Available ongoing financial resources for Fresh Talent
• Human resources to implement and develop FTIs
• The sustainability of projects and initiatives.

The rationale of Fresh Talent, especially in relation to demography

7.32 The immediacy of the pressure to address a declining population has diminished in the short term and, whilst there are issues about the ageing of the population and the concomitant decline in those of working age, this is not as unique to Scotland. This shift in demographic projections can reduce the evaluation of FT being in terms of overall numbers of in-migrants, towards a strategic approach which focuses on talent for purpose (eg skills needs, age profile).

The target population groups

7.33 As the evaluation identifies, FT has expanded from its initial focus on students to address some aspects of the business target group. With the lessened demographic pressure, there is scope for FT to prioritise further its target groups and indeed to focus attention to supporting the attraction of talent within only some of them.

Available ongoing financial resources for Fresh Talent

7.34 Achieving the targets set for FT has incurred expenditure and will incur further costs. At present, different departments of the Executive contribute to the overall FT costs. This reinforces the cross-cutting dimension of FT, but also means that each Minister has to agree to these resources allocated from their 'core' activities. The 2003-04 Financial Statement indicated that expenditure on FT would amount to more than £5.5m, over 3 years. Expenditure will be focused on RAS (£1.17m), promotion and marketing (£0.77m), research and IT (£0.47m) and on the specific projects on students (£2.83m) and business involvement (£0.07m). For FT to continue and to expand to develop further initiatives and sustain the current ones, there is a critical issue of whether and how much further financial resources can be committed to FT.

The sustainability of projects and initiatives

7.35 At present, most of the FT projects have been created to exist for a time limited period. RAS is a 3 year pilot and SISP, Challenge Funds and SNI involvement are planned for 3 years. There is thus a core question of the future sustainability of each of these schemes. At present, with the exception of the Challenge Fund which explicitly expects sustainability arrangements to be in place, there are no plans within these areas of expenditure to ensure that any project can be sustained without further expenditure from the Executive. Options for making some or all the projects either mainstreamed within Executive budgets or funded outside of the budget should be explored.

Human resources to implement and develop FT

7.36 Covering all aspects of FT, a small team of staff within the Executive is currently being required not only to complete the growing set of tasks under FT, but also to respond to the heavy demands of monitoring and evaluation. The expertise of the team, drawn from within the Executive and beyond, has been vital to the development of FT. Ensuring that key skills and expertise is available will be important for the future development of FT as it operates within the UK migration policy context and meets new challenges to attract and retain talent.

Scenarios for FT development

7.37 In developing these scenarios, it is assumed that the initial rationales for FT should be revisited. In particular, the need to attract more people to expand the population rapidly is assumed to be no longer a priority and that a growth in talent can be achieved over a longer time period than originally envisaged. Further, it is assumed that for the present - ie to the end of the 3 year period for most elements of FT - all existing schemes will remain in operation and there will be no change in the core structure of the FT team. After this period, however, scope exists for reconfiguration of the organisation tasked with FT development and with the targets and objectives being set.

Scenario 1: "roll out"

This involves the continuing evolution of FT to address all the five target groups with further initiatives to augment the existing projects. For this to be achieved, as each initiative in turn is rolled out, it will require the Executive to make a growing financial commitment to FT projects and an expanding human resource base to meet the expertise and skills required. The 'roll out' of FT will expand the FT team and develop further partnerships with other parts of the Executive and agencies in and beyond Scotland.

It is envisaged that this will include :

• development of links with business in Scotland to indicate opportunities for overseas recruitment,
• expansion of FT links with diaspora under the Diaspora Strategy and enhanced web links with existing networks
• new emphasis on attracting entrepreneurs to Scotland
• continued provision of scholarships to overseas students and partnership working with HEIs and SCs
• support for graduates retained under FTWiSS to enter on more permanent migration schemes and thus retain fresh talent
• expansion of FT to support SEN and others to retain talent in Scotland

To support these areas, enhanced knowledge of the following is needed:

• experiences and histories of talent attracted through FTWiSS
• the push factors of emigrants from Scotland, focussing on those in the rest of the UK
• changes in perceptions of Scotland as a destination to work and live amongst diasporeans

Evaluation will involve continued assessment of each of the initiatives and projects, both in terms of their individual goals, and also:

• their sustainability beyond Executive funding
• their interaction with RAS
• the effectiveness of partnership working with business, HEIs/ SCs, SEN, British Council and others.

Key evaluative metrics of FT under this scenario will include:

• number of FTWiSS applicants retained beyond 2 years
• number of overseas entrepreneurs and self-employed supported to apply for entry through UK schemes
• number of supported talent who join FT affinity diaspora and networks
• continuing flow of inquiries to RAS for assistance/advice under FT schemes

Scenario 2 : "roll forward"

In order to address each of the five target population groups, but recognising that there is likely to be a limited financial and human resource base on which to draw, this scenario envisages a sequential targeting on each group and a concomitant mainstreaming of existing activity. Not all current activity will necessarily continue, but the desirability of developing sustainable projects would have to be prominent in the development of each new one.

None of the current projects, primarily focussed on students (eg SISP, Challenge Funds) have been launched with a clear strategy for sustainability, although there is a limited expectation for sustainability in the Challenge Fund. There are major questions about whether any of these initiative can be sustainable without continuing core funding.

Options to assist in managing the overall resources required under FT include:

• RAS could be formed into a separate unit with its own remit focused on the advisory service. It would be important that the unit retains a skills mix which includes familiarity with the workings of the Home Office and immigration legislation. The recommendation from the first review of RAS that it should become for targeted and tailored is endorsed.
• The international marketing team, which is currently drawn largely from staff outside of the Executive, could also deliver to its remit at arms length from the Executive as a dedicated unit;
• the focus of the FT team therefore would be on policy, development and constructing new partnership working. New initiatives would therefore be 'rolled forward' initially by the FT team but mainstreamed elsewhere.

Key evaluative metrics of FT under this scenario will include:

• successful sustaining of key FT initiatives with reductions or removal of FT funding
• evolution of new projects which stimulate and pump-prime initiatives to attract and retain FT
• meeting the objectives of each project/initiative and contributing to attraction and retention of one of the five target groups
• sequential mainstreaming of key initiatives within either the Executive or other agencies and partners

Scenario 3: "focussed" targets

This scenario involves re-focussing on one (or possibly two) priority target groups and ensuring that meaningful and lasting interventions are made within FT budgets and with support from partners.

Which target group(s)? There is a logic to continue to work with students as this has been the current focus and is one which most closely fits the objectives of FT in terms of youthfulness, skills, diversity and economic potential. In addition, it is an area where the Executive already has a major role. Consequently, further action by partners (especially with HEIs and SCs) can most effectively be leveraged.

This focussed activity could include:

• Gathering of information on destinations of overseas post-graduation
• Further partnerships with HEIs to provide studentships for international students
• Support by Executive to work placement and short-term courses which enhance overseas student experience of Scotland
• Closer working with University alumni offices
• support for graduates retained under FTWiSS to enter on more permanent migration schemes and thus retain fresh talent
• support for new initiatives from business, HEIs/ SCs and public or voluntary sector to link overseas students with Scottish economy and culture

If a second group is included in the focussed approach, it is recommended that this should be the wider diasporic communities as the others groups (Scottish business, migrant workers and entrepreneurs) are already being supported through other arms of government and the marketplace.

As the focussed approach is to deepen support of the target group(s), there will need to be development of further detailed data about and knowledge of the target group(s), their experience in Scotland, the factors which influence their attraction and retention, and information about actions elsewhere (the competition) to attract the group.

Key evaluative metrics of FT under this scenario will depend on the number and selection of the target group, but would include measurements of:

• the successful interventions in Scotland on areas which provide competitive advantages in attracting the target group
• the number in the overseas target group seeking information on and access to Scotland
• the experiences of those attracted to Scotland
• the effectiveness of departed talent in promoting Scotland overseas to target group(s)

Scenario 4: "skill needs"

This scenario recognises that, under a more managed migration system and sponsorship scheme proposed by the Home Office, there is a greater opportunity to focus on matching skills with the needs of the Scottish economy. FT can address both current shortages within selected sectors and be involved in enhancing business capacity for future growth. This option is thus less about targeting specific population groups (all 5 could remain important) but taking initiatives to link those attracted with employers and the labour market.

It is envisaged that this could include:

• Linking students with employers, through extension of work placements and encouraging business to offer studentships for overseas students
• Supporting new talent in Scotland to become networked with entrepreneurs
• Including representatives from the business sector within the development of the SNI, GfoS and Sitp websites
• partnership working of FT staff with business sectors at joint career, trade and other overseas events with explicit connections between FT entry schemes and labour shortage
• updating of the set of 'skill shortage areas' in Scotland made available under Tier 2 of the managed migration scheme
• supporting business (especially SMEs, but also larger organisation) in the process of sponsorship under the managed migration scheme where this involves FTWiSS and other FT scheme participants
• support for larger, international organisations in Scotland to enable short-term mobility of talent from overseas into Scotland

Key evaluative metrics of FT under this scenario will include:

• the rate of growth of business involvement in FT schemes
• number of FT project participants employed in Scotland
• the growth and utilisation of an FT affinity diaspora network to support business
• the flexibility of FT schemes to respond to skill needs

« Previous | Contents | Next »