Page 28 - StudyTravel Magazine July 2014 Issue

tertiary vocational associated

SPeCial rePort PoST-STUDy WoRK

Staying on:

post-study work

the ability to stay and work after graduation is a key consideration for many inter-

national students when choosing higher education programmes overseas.

Matthew Knott examines the impact of post-study policy chang-
es in the major destinations, the intentions of interna-

tional students that seek to remain and how

agents view work rights.

hen the uK students now have just four months to
government find employment at a minimum salary
removed of uK£20,300 (uS$33,941) and switch
W automatic to a tier 2 general visa. lord Krebbs,
post-study work (PSW) Committee Chair, said, “allowing just four
rights for non-eu students months for a student to find work after
in 2011, it heralded graduation is more or less tantamount to
considerable scrutiny of telling overseas students they’d be better
comparative work rights off going to study elsewhere.” the lords
and student destination report further cited an analysis of graduate
choices. For critics, the SteM jobs advertised at the university of
policy is to blame for the Manchester, where only 55 per cent met
uK’s first ever decline the minimum salary requirements.
in higher education in a statement provided to STM, a uK
international student numbers Home office Spokesperson said policy
(see StM, March 2014, page 6). changes had benefitted students. “the
For example, a recent House previous post-study work visa allowed too
of lords Science and technology many students to end up in low-skilled
Select Committee report on jobs or unemployment. the new, more
international SteM students refers selective system continues to offer a range
to a contradiction in government of options to graduates, allowing those
policy between measures to control who contribute the most to our economy
immigration and plans to attract more to stay on and work after studies.” the
students. the report cites an eight per Spokesperson highlighted alternative
cent decline in non-eu SteM students measures for non-eu students, including
in 2011/12, followed by a further two per a year for Phd graduates to stay and work
cent drop in 2012/13. and the graduate entrepreneur Scheme,
rather than the allowing sponsored students to remain and
previous two-year set up a business.
post study nicola dandridge, Chief executive
work visa, of universities uK www.universitiesuk.
non-eu ac.uk, similarly stressed PSW opportunities
remain, but urged an expansion. “Building