Students lured back to working abroad

SCOTS undergraduates working abroad under a British Council internship scheme have returned to near-record numbers following a sharp decline brought about by last year’s economic difficulties.

There are also more Scottish businesses joining the programme known as IAESTE – the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience. First-time participants have doubled the number of those taking part, with 22 organisations creating internship posts for 90 foreign students this year.

The programme runs on a reciprocal basis, meaning that every placement in Scotland creates an opportunity for a Scots student to work abroad.

This year’s class of 90 outbound interns is up 23 per cent on 2011, when placements tumbled to 69 against the previous year’s record of 101. Scotland now accounts for more than 40 per cent of the UK total of IAESTE placements.

Lloyd Anderson, director of British Council Scotland, said companies hosting IAESTE students benefit from an expanded international outlook. All placements are related to the degree work of the students, who are drawn primarily from science, engineering and the applied arts.

“For students, gaining a world perspective on employment opportunities and cutting edge developments in your chosen field is invaluable in the globalised economy of the 21st century,” Anderson said.

Firms taking part include J&D Wilkie, Caledonian Alloys and Geoprober Drilling, the Forestry Commission and the universities of St Andrews, Glasgow and Aberdeen.