Encouraging Dynamic Global Entrepreneurs, the EDGE program
The EDGE program ran for the first time in 2005 and proved a resounding success with the students from Scotland and the USA who participated.
Attracting fresh talent
Scotland, is bursting with energy, imagination, creativity and innovation in lots of industry sectors. It also offers a great quality of life with cosmopolitan cities, rich in local and international culture, has vast tracts of stunning, unspoilt scenery and offers unlimited sporting and recreational opportunities. However, demographic changes have given us the challenge of a shrinking working population.
Destination Scotland
Scotland's first priority is to nurture and retain home-grown talent by striving to meet hopes and aspirations. Secondly we want to encourage more Scots abroad to come home. And thirdly we want to attract a completely new work force of graduates and professionals from the EU and further afield. In February 2004, the Fresh Talent initiative launched with a range of measures to attract newcomers to Scotland. The aim is to create an even more diverse and cosmopolitan country.
An education
The quality of Scottish education is renowned throughout the world and there are more than 20,000 overseas students from over 100 different countries studying in Scottish higher education institutions. The monitoring of the academic standards required to achieve a degree in Scotland is rigorous and no university system in the world is scrutinised to a higher degree. More than 80% of all Teaching Quality Assessments carried out in Scotland are rated as highly satisfactory or 'Excellent'. None were rated unsatisfactory.
The Scottish higher education sector also possesses one of the most advanced communications and information technology infrastructures of any higher education system in the world. Its four Metropolitan Area Networks work at world-class high speeds (155 Mbps) allowing students at Scottish universities and colleges to have access to accredited courses through network-based multimedia learning environments and to take part in videoconference lectures and tutorials.
Post Study Work
Up until 2005, overseas graduates had to leave the country within three months of graduating. However since summer 2005, overseas graduates from Scottish universities have two years grace to stay in the country in order to secure employment. The two year post study work visa programme enables Scotland to retain the brightest and best of our Scottish educated overseas students.
In addition to visa extensions, students from India, China, USA and Canada can now apply for a Saltire Scholarship to study undergraduate courses in Scotland, offering opportunities to bright students who may not be able to consider studying abroad without financial help. With all this fresh talent in the country, Scotland's future looks bright indeed.
Interested in finding out more about studying and working in Scotland?
Go to Scotland Is The Place for more information.