Entrepreneurial Scotland's Saltire Scholars head for Canada

Entrepreneurial Scotland said its Saltire Scholar Internship Programme has placed a group of students with host companies in Canada for the first time thanks to a new visa partnership.

From left: Matthew Leith, Euan Donnelly and Charlotte Laing. Picture: Contributed

The scheme aims to provide students with “once-in-a-lifetime internships” across the world, fully funded through supporters and donors of the Saltire Foundation charity, the philanthropic arm of Entrepreneurial Scotland.

• READ MORE: Student scholarship programme opens for applications

The group comprises engineering students Matthew Leith of Heriot-Watt University, James Adam of the University of Dundee, Euan Donnelly of Edinburgh Napier University and Charlotte Laing, a business management and digital media student at the University of Glasgow.

The Canadian host companies include toy manufacturer Mega Brands, TV company Boat Rocker Media and the University of Alberta.

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Sara Nelson, head of the Saltire Scholar programme, said that establishing a student presence in Canada was a “milestone” for the initiative.

“We have had a long-established relationship with companies based in the USA with 74 students interning there,” she said.

“Canada has proved a more challenging market to enter but with the support of determined donors, committed host companies and a new visa partnership, the scholars team are proud of the progress made this year and will continue to build on it. We hope to double the number of opportunities available in Canada in 2018.”

This year marks the scheme’s tenth cohort, with 165 students taking part, up from 142 in 2016.

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