Empowering international students for global career success

It’s no secret that universities are facing financial pressures. The prospect of some going out of business is a serious concern and could have potential economic and cultural ramifications for their surrounding regions.

The debate about retaining international students, especially the “best and brightest”, and the impact of visa changes on migration figures remains heated. International students bring notable benefits. According to Wonkhe, around 79 per cent on the graduate route nationally have paid tax. Sixty-eight per cent are estimated to have worked for at least one month in the year after obtaining their graduate visas, although many are in lower-paid or non-skilled work. Universities UK reports positive outcomes for international students:

• 69 per cent of respondents say they progress more quickly in their careers than peers educated elsewhere
• 82 per cent of graduates say their degrees were worth the investment
• 83 per cent of respondents say their degrees helped them get their jobs.

Supporting international student employability

Universities must invest the appropriate resources into ensuring international students feel welcome and are well positioned to gain valuable experience and opportunities during their studies and upon graduation. They should measure their efforts through surveys and focus groups and benchmark them against other universities. The International Student Barometer Survey is one way to capture good data and compare student satisfaction and employability perceptions. Likewise, the Graduate Outcomes Survey can gauge progress in student employability in different areas. 

Setting up international student working groups across universities is also important for gathering and analysing data and forming action plans to improve on these measures and challenges. These groups should include professional services staff, academics, managers and international students who explore key challenges and create feedback loops, and act as sources of positive operational actions. This encapsulates the idea of a whole-university approach to support that works towards a successful employability strategy. 

• Resource collection: Create welcoming classrooms for international students
• How to support international students’ smooth transition to a new country
• How to help international students prepare for university life ahead of and after their arrival

Building and analysing networks

Since international students face challenges in finding skilled work, often ending up in lower-paid roles, institutions and organisations must offer greater support in the form of in-person and virtual events that bring together students, staff and employers. At Chester, initiatives such as interactive social media live streams for staff and students feature various internal and external guests discussing topics relevant to international students. We decided to use a tool called StreamYard, which allowed us to live stream and record to multiple social media channels. These included our international centre’s Facebook page, a YouTube channel and LinkedIn. It is important to have a clear plan for each episode and guests who are well briefed. These broadcasts can get a lot of live viewers and prospective students tend to have a lot of questions, so inviting experts on key issues such as employability and the job market is key. For example, we invited an international student influencer with a podcast and social media presence focused on employability. Lastly, ensure you have someone to look after the technology and logistics on the day.

International students make up the majority of the attendees at our annual in-person social capital conference, an institutional-level event that aims to connect attendees with one another, employers and support-focused colleagues from the university. To maximise student attendance, it is critical to align in-person events with current activities, priorities and timetables. International students are balancing employment, study and various other responsibilities and are not always on campus. For example, hosting timetabled induction or enrolment events or aligning events with taught sessions is the best way to maximise attendance and engagement. Again, this requires a holistic approach across the university to understand what events are occurring and to plan effectively and prevent overlaps. Capturing event feedback data from surveys and focus groups can also help to refine and improve the experience for everyone. 

Providing placement opportunities

The skilled-work market is competitive, especially for international students. Universities must provide robust support and guidance to help these students secure opportunities. Embedding work placements and work-based projects into the curriculum is a key strategy, though it is sometimes underutilised for international students. For example, Chester offers additional work-based and placement opportunities, allowing international students to undertake research consultancy projects with local organisations. This not only helps students develop real-life skills and experience in the UK, but also supports regional business growth. One recent initiative involved MBA students offering research consultancy for a new social enterprise, Grosvenor Hart Homes. These projects were integrated into research methods and dissertation modules, culminating in student presentations of their findings and recommendations to the client. 

Building and managing networks of organisations willing to partner on these kinds of projects is essential. Do this by fostering relationships through events and on platforms such as LinkedIn. Encourage business development managers and other staff to get involved with in-person and virtual events and talk to organisations about the potential for placement opportunities.

Employability is key

While visa changes are beyond universities’ direct control, they can adapt their approaches to enhance employability outcomes for international students. This ensures students are prepared to thrive both in the UK and globally, safeguarding the annual £42 billion economic contribution, as reported in the Financial Times, and the cultural richness international students bring. By maintaining our institutions’ world-class reputations and supporting students’ success, we can foster a brighter future for everyone.

Alex Fenton is the associate dean of international and an associate professor for the Faculty of Science, Business & Enterprise at the University of Chester. Trevor Omoruyi is the MBA director at the University of Chester Business School.

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