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Chapter One The origins of the Fresh Talent Initiative
Introduction
1.1 Many European governments have, since the early 1990s, become concerned about skills shortages and demographic change. This concern is about first the 'greying' of the population, and second, asylum, multi-cultural citizenship and national identities. In contrast to a 'fortress' approach, which dominated government responses in the early 1990s to such issues, the business case for the liberalisation of migration has become more influential in recent years. As a consequence, many European states have shifted away from migration policies focussed on control and restriction in favour a twin-track approach:
"that simultaneously loosens in a regulated way, the control of labour migration, tightens the control of asylum and clandestine migration, and establishes a framework for the promotion of social cohesion and an inclusive national identity around a set of core or irreducible values" (Lewis and Neal, 2005, 428).
1.2 In the UK, the government has moved towards this 'managed migration' approach, allowing the admission of migrant workers in accordance with business needs for labour and skill shortages, while at the same time imposing ever increasing restrictions on asylum seekers (Flynn, 2005).
1.3 In Scotland, although governed by legislation on migration set by Westminster, there too has been a specific response to anxieties over demographic trends (low fertility, population decline, ageing population) and skill gaps in the labour market on the one hand and, on the other, to recent academic studies - notably the work of Richard Florida (2002; 2005b) - which has argued that the places that will prosper in the knowledge economy are those who are able to attract and retain 'creative workers' and pools of talent.
Launching Fresh Talent
1.4 It is in this context that the Fresh Talent initiative was launched. It arose from the 'demographic challenge' identified by the First Minister at the City Challenge Conference in February 2003. Aware of the results from the 2001 Census and the prediction that the national population would decline below 5 million by 2009, the First Minister announced the formation of an implementation group to consider how to make Scotland more appealing as a place to live, work and study. Over the next year, following contact with the Home Office, a steering group under the chair of George Calder of the Scottish Executive was formed to take forward this challenge. Their report, New Scots: attracting fresh talent to meet the challenge of growth was endorsed by the First Minister in February 2004 and became the cornerstone of the Fresh Talent Initiative ( FTI). The policy statement reported on actions already taken, set out the main agendas and identified a wide set of future areas for action (Scottish Executive, 2004a).
1.5 Within New Scots, action anticipated under Fresh Talent ( FT) was to focus on: promotion, marketing and branding of Scotland; the provision of advice services, including the formation of a Relocation Advisory Service ( RAS); an enhancement of international contacts and relations; entrepreneurs and business; and, in particular, actions aimed at attracting international students.
1.6 Since then, these strands have materialised and evolved into a set of concrete projects and actions. A Fresh Talent team has been recruited within the Executive and has spearheaded the Initiative to bring about actions ( Annex 1). This Fresh Talent team is located within the International Projects Division ( IPD) of the Finance & Central Services Department of the Executive. The division has four main teams: FT policy; International Image; RAS; and Scotland is the Place which includes Global Friends of Scotland and the diaspora strategy. The Division has seconded members from elsewhere in the Executive, from elsewhere in the Civil Service and externally, in part to source staff with specific skills in immigration advice, business expertise and marketing and promotion.
1.7 Whilst this dedicated team aims "to drive forward and oversee progress", the Executive has consistently over the past 2 years stressed that the FTI is not a stand-alone initiative, but one that will inform and shape actions across the Executive and beyond.
The aims of this research
1.8 The aim of the research reported here was to provide a progress report on Fresh Talent as it nears the end of its second year. To this end, this study seeks to answer the following questions:
- Is there still a pressing need for a Fresh Talent initiative?
- Could the current strategy of sequentially addressing target groups be supplemented?
- Are the monitoring and evaluation procedures in place fit for purpose?
- What are the assessments of its impact by stakeholders?
- Is there the capacity and resources to ensure the initiative's sustainability?
1.9 In answering these questions, the research involved a mapping exercise collating evidence expressed in terms of measurable targets and outcomes to review progress in implementing each FT objective. Dialogue with, and review of practices within, a sample of key agencies involved in the Initiative has also been undertaken to augment the output from previous reviews and secondary statistical evidence of the wider context in which FT has been positioned.
Report structure
1.10 After outlining the aims and scope of the Fresh Talent initiative in the next chapter, the report considers the wider contexts in which FT is located in Chapter 3. These include other strategies of the Executive which connect with FT and other contexts and debates that influence FT directly: Scotland's demography; migration policy in the UK, economic prosperity and labour markets in Scotland; and the appeal of cosmopolitanism and the social impact of migration. Together these enable the review to assess the current rationales for FT and to identify the continuing necessity of the initiative.
1.11 Under FT, 5 target groups have been identified. Chapter 4 reviews the significance of these within the context of projects initiated to date by the Executive. Recognising that these groups represent only some elements of a pool of 'talent' which could be attracted to Scotland, the chapter also outlines some further groups which it is argued could supplement the current context. In particular, this chapter develops the argument that FT can make greater use of Scotland's own, unique assets and position within a highly competitive international market for talent.
1.12 However, the core of the report is about evaluating progress to date in addressing the aims of FT. Chapter 5 brings together evidence on how each initiative and project under FT contributes to the overall goals, examining first the core projects at the heart of FT, those supported through FT and finally some aspects of the wider setting for FTI. In so doing, it provides an account of progress to date and an assessment of the evaluation methods already in place. For each project practical suggestions for future monitoring and evaluation are outlined.
1.13 In Chapter 6, attention is focused on the two main target groups which have been central to FT to date. Through an examination of the attraction of international students to Scotland and FT's involvement in supporting business to employ talent from overseas, the chapter evaluates the impact of FT, drawing on views of external partners as well as secondary evidence. Recommendations are made about how, in building on current achievements, deeper relationships with partners can be developed.
1.14 The final chapter turns attention to the future shape of FT and considers whether it has the capacity and resources to meet current and future challenges. The considerable achievements of the FT team are acknowledged, and a summary of the practical action points arising from the research is outlined. Issues about whether there are sufficient resources - human and financial - to fulfil the current remit remain. The chapter concludes by offering some different options for the development of FT, depending on the resource base to be made available and the number and nature of the target groups selected in the future.
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