Using graduate talent to aid international business

Mon, 30 Jun 2014 12:36:00 BST

The UKTI Graduate Talent for International Business launch event will take place at the University of Huddersfield on 10 July

international student on computer UK firms planning to expand into global markets will be helped and encouraged to draw on the special expertise of graduates – such as language and inter-cultural skills – thanks to a new Government-backed scheme devised by careers experts within the organisation Yorkshire Universities.

The University of Huddersfield, having played a key role in the development of the scheme, will host the launch event, Graduate Talent for International Business, taking place on Thursday, 10 July (9.30am to 12pm).

Firms that are ambitious to boost their exports are invited to attend the event, which is organised by the Yorkshire and the Humber office of Government agency UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).

During a series of sessions, businesses will learn how they could enlist graduates, from the UK or overseas, to help them overcome language barriers, develop contacts and provide special insights into cultural differences.

The event will be opened by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield, Professor Bob Cryan, who is a member of the board of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, which is also backing the new scheme.

“These graduates can help businesses that are looking to expand into overseas markets and gain a greater understanding about how business is done around the world,” said Professor Cryan. “The language skills and cultural awareness that they bring to a company can be invaluable when embarking on a new business venture, and this specialist scheme offers a flexible, cost effective way to bring skills and talent to the heart of business.”

The University of Huddersfield’s Head of Careers and Employability, Stephen Boyd, one of the specialists who conceived the scheme, will give an introductory talk at the event.

“We began to think of ways in which we could support students with skills suited to international business and find them work-based opportunities with local small to medium-sized enterprises,” said Mr Boyd. “We felt that their particular skillset might be useful to local businesses wanting to expand.”

Specialist skills of recent graduates

UKTI were thinking along the same lines, so a partnership was formed, leading to the official launch of the scheme. A leading role is being played by Polish-born Anna Chmaro, who relocated to the UK when she studied for a Master’s degree at the University of Huddersfield. Now she is Language and Culture Co-ordinator for UKTI in the Yorkshire and the Humber region and is the point of contact for the event on July 10.

Stephen Boyd explained that advisers at UKTI would help businesses to develop projects that could deploy the specialist skills of recent graduates. Researching new markets, developing websites, recording voiceovers for promotional material and acting as interpreters are among the possible scenarios.

University careers services would then advertise and promote the opportunities that became available.

“Ultimately, all involved have the chance to benefit greatly from this scheme,” said Mr Boyd. “Businesses would gain insight and potential advantage in overseas markets and students would get valuable, paid work experience to complement their time at university.”