The value of Outward Mobility through the lens of young professionals and recruiters

During the Covid-19 pandemic, outward mobility providers have faced significant challenges including travel restrictions, pastoral care for students overseas and communicating with partners worldwide.  Whilst the pandemic has presented a host of obstacles to overcome, opportunities have also emerged with virtual and blended mobility being experimented with more than ever.

At such a challenging time it is important to reiterate the value these experiences offer students, which in some cases during a time of crises, are even greater than usual. Resilience, perseverance, and confidence are regularly citied as skills gained during a student’s international experience, which play an important role in preparing students for today’s workforce and contributing to the UK’s international competitiveness.

In this blog post we will review some of the key takeaways derived from a webinar series delivered to the Generation UK: China Network. The sessions invited Generation UK alumni, industry leaders and practitioners to share their stories with network members and discuss how their international experiences have impacted their careers. We will also explore what outward mobility might look like now the UK has left the European Union (EU), and how institutions can support more students to gain such valuable experiences abroad.  

Growth in confidence and global interests

During a panel discussion with Generation UK alumni, Cailin Murphy (Generation UK alumna, 2014) credited growth in confidence to her time in China. Through her time spent in an unfamiliar environment she explained that she is now able to throw herself into situations that she has not experienced before and knows she can land on her feet. Her experience in China also cultivated her global interests. She highlighted that living in China and developing a global outlook has motivated her to apply for internationally focused roles and emphasised that she may not be working at the Department for International Trade today had she not lived in China and gained a better understanding of how different countries operate and work together.

Development of cultural agility and communication skills

Lola Olaore (Generation UK alumna, 2014) highlighted that through her experience in China she developed her cross-cultural communication skills.

Interested in a career in consulting, Lola understood that working in the profession requires an ability to work on multiple projects across different regions. From her time in China she realised that she was able to adapt to new environments and communicate effectively with diverse groups of people. She knew that her enhanced cultural agility and communication skills would be an asset in her job search and specifically mentioned her China experience when interviewing with the global technology consulting firm Accenture for a place on their graduate programme, which she ultimately earned.

Strong collaboration and creativity skills

Marjorie Kalomeris, (Senior Recruiter and Diversity Programme Manager, Optimizely) spoke to Network members about how recruiters perceive the importance of young people with international experiences. Having interviewed and recruited thousands of candidates across the globe, Marjorie believes that employees with international experiences almost always have stronger cross-cultural communication skills than those who do not. Such employees have a better understanding of how to navigate different situations and work with different groups of people, typically demonstrating stronger collaboration skills. Due to their varied lived experiences and diversity of thought, they also bring creativity and fresh ideas to the teams they work in, enabling organisations to innovate and operate more effectively.

Global outlook for a Global Britain

Findings from the British Council’s Education Futures Mini Conference series and the Going Global conference last year found that face-to-face mobility programmes are still valued by students and cannot be replaced by virtual alternatives. Once the pandemic passes, demand for outward mobility programmes will remain and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) must be prepared to deliver these initiatives.

Research from Universities UK International (UUKI) confirms the areas of development that Generation UK alumni cite, including growth in confidence, international awareness, and adaptability (UUKI, 2015). Additional research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Pearson highlights the value of mobile students to employers. Year-on-year, UK employers are calling for graduates with international cultural awareness and language skills. In 2017, 39 per cent of employers were dissatisfied with graduates’ international cultural awareness and 47 per cent were dissatisfied with their language skills.

Now the UK has left the EU, there will be new opportunities for HEIs to support their students and graduates to gain international experiences around the world from Europe to Asia and the Americas. The UK’s ability to form strong and strategic partnerships with other nations will be instrumental in creating these opportunities. According to figures from 2018/19, only 7.8 per cent of UK undergraduate students were choosing to study abroad (UUKI, 2019). There is opportunity for HEIs to form innovative partnerships with new regions such as East Asia where numbers are typically much smaller (for example in 2018/19 less than 3,000 UK students chose to study in the ASEAN region).

Whilst many opportunities are present, the sector is still facing several challenges. As the pandemic continues to impact international travel, it is unclear as to when mobility programmes will resume and once they do, where the requisite funding and support will come from. The Turing Scheme is a welcomed initiative that supports more students to gain international experiences during their studies. HEIs will need to be prepared to invest time and resources to establish and maintain strategic partnerships that will lead to more opportunities for their students and graduates. Virtual alternatives are still valuable and offer students the opportunity to develop their skills to an extent but do not fully satisfy students desires to study abroad especially if they are still required to pay full tuition fees for their studies.

Key takeaways

• The examples shared from Generation UK alumni and international recruiters highlight the value international experiences bring to both individuals and organisations. Whilst such examples can be seen as anecdotal, they speak to a broader range of research that demonstrates the benefits of outward mobility.
• Higher education institutions play an important role in providing opportunities for students and graduates to gain international experiences. Whilst there are many challenges present when delivering outward mobility programmes, they continue to serve as a strategic investment into the future prosperity of the UK.
• Young professionals with international experiences demonstrate growth in core competences such as resilience, perseverance, and confidence. These skills not only enhance their employability prospects but also help employers build a stronger workforce with in-demand skills.
• Increasing the number of young UK nationals with international experiences is instrumental in supporting the Global Britain agenda.  

Author - Gary Izunwa - Outward Mobility Manager, British Council, China