The document discusses an initiative by the University of Portsmouth Careers and Employability Service called the International Student Talent Pool. The project aimed to source internship opportunities for international students that fit within their visa restrictions. Research found international students faced barriers in finding relevant work. The project collaborated with other university departments and local businesses to identify 15 internship placements. Placements focused on marketing, communications, and languages. 24 students were ultimately placed. Students and employers found the program beneficial, though it required significant staff time and resources to implement. Lessons learned include the need for collaboration, active employer engagement, and considering compliance and sustainability.

1. International
Student Talent Pool
Janet Woolnough and Luke Hahn
Careers and Employability Service, University of Portsmouth
Finding internships for
international students

2. What are your experiences?
• How easy do international students find getting paid work while they study?
• Do they want to find work?
• What challenges do they face?
• Does your Service offer any targeted support for international students
looking for work experience?

3. Introducing the International
Student Talent Pool
– the rationale
Bournemouth University Careers Service
research that highlighted barriers international
students faced accessing work, e.g.:
• 64% of respondents struggled to find work
or a placement that was relevant to their
course.
Our anecdotal experience of international
student frustration
Feedback from our employer-facing colleagues
that employers looking for language skills

4. This led to ………….
• Cross-University International Student Employability project
identified need for targeted support for international student
• Collaborative working with our International Office and DIT
International Trade Adviser to shape the project
• Successful bid for UKCISA project funding

5. Objectives of the project
To source opportunities for paid work that fitted within
Tier 4 restrictions that enabled companies to benefit
from skills/background of international student body
• Aimed to find 3-4 months internships (vacation or post-study)
• Targeted to find 15 placements
• Funded project ran from June 2017-18

6. How did we find the roles?
• DIT International Trade Adviser collaboration and networks
• Utilised a range of local business networks including Shaping
Portsmouth, local chambers of commerce, local jobs fairs
• Utilised support of other colleagues involved in business
engagement
• Followed up potential vacancies that might suit the project
• Undertook business research to identify target companies for
direct engagement
• Led a business launch event to promote the project to local
employers

7. Employer and vacancy outcomes
• Actively engaged with over 50 employers
• 10 employers offered placements through the programme
• 15 different job roles
• Undertook basic vacancy management – initial visa check
• The majority of roles related to marketing and communications:
Marketing – 7; Customer support/communications – 6; Website
development – 1; Translation project management – 1.
• Most common language sought were:
Mandarin – 12; Any language – 5; No language – 2; Arabic – 3;
Czech/Slovak – 1; Russian/Kazakh – 1.
Cosmo Education – Marketing Intern
Tourism South East – China Marketing Campaign Intern
Applied Driving Techniques – Customer Support (Arabic)
Nike – Mandarin Speaking Athlete

8. How did we find
the students?
This was less of a challenge!
General promotion via:
• Academics with large international student cohorts
• Student Union societies
• Promotion by CES colleagues in faculty employability talks and
advice and guidance
• Developed a student registration process
Promoted vacancies by:
• Student registration information
• Direct emails to students based on e.g. language skills, course
• Promotion via academics and Student Union

9. Student outcomes
• 166 students registered their interest
• 64 students applied for roles
• 57% of these were postgraduate students
• Over 60% were from business related courses
• 24 students were placed through the initial year of the project

11. “I am glad that I applied to this program. It has
allowed me to get hands-on experience and to
apply some of the knowledge I have gained in my
course at an organization which embraces
flexibility and patience, leading to mutual
development”.
Caridad, Sales Account Intern at Training Vision
“I thought it would be very difficult for an
international student to find an intern in the UK.
But staff members of the talent pool have been
keeping me updated with job vacancies which fit
me well. It is really helpful and efficient to target
the potential positions rather than just sending
CVs everywhere. They also monitor the process
of interviews, which made me feel very
supported”.
Qian, Marketing Intern at Landsec

12. What next?
• Streamlining process – no longer undertaking vacancy
management to reduce GDPR complexity and employers
are happy for direct application
• More cross-referencing of existing positions tagged as
International Talent Pool on university jobs board
• Removed Student Registration – relying on direct emails
using student record system and academic links
• New business development undertaken, for example,
identified real employer demand in retail in Gunwharf
outlets

13. • Narrower range of roles found than we expected
• Languages sought favoured some student groups
more than others
• We needed to be flexible to meet employers’ needs
e.g. ongoing part-time opportunities
• Students needed to be flexible – in terms of roles
they would consider
• Interested companies often from education and
training sectors
• If role did not require language skills we were
advised they could be promoted to international
students as ‘positive action’
• Project did not provide salary support and
employers were required to pay at least NMW. This
was not a disincentive to employers
• The project did require significant time commitment
which was difficult during peak periods as no extra
staff resource was provided
What did
we learn?

14. • Do it! There was a clear demand for it in
Portsmouth
• Collaborative working is crucial e.g.
working with international office and
placement teams
• Be active and engage through local
business networks and direct meetings
and phone calls
• Think about compliance, if you are
managing the recruitment process, as an
institution you may be responsible for
ensuring students meet their visa
working conditions
• A project such as this needs staff
resource, in particular for set-up and
implementation. It’s important to think
about the sustainability of the work,
particularly if there is a desire to scale-up
and offer larger numbers of opportunities