A new toolkit has been launched with the aim of helping UK employers better understand the benefits of recruiting international students through the Graduate Pathway. Launched by BUILA and the International Student Employment Group, the kit will give training providers, careers advisers and students the tools to demonstrate to employers their employability How easy it is to get through the Graduate Route and Skilled Worker Route visas. “International students can bring great talent and global insight to business,” Karen Blackney, employability lead, BUILA Executive, told The PIE. “We hope that these succinct guides will help employers to navigate the straight-forward and low-cost process of employing them.” In statement, ISEG – set up by UKCISA in 2020 – said that since the introduction of the Graduate Route visa and the Skilled Worker Route visa it has “never been easier” for employers to hire from the UK’s “rich pool of international talent”. “International students make a huge contribution to the UK and bring with them a range of skills and experiences, drawn directly from their studies and from their lived experience in their home country,” it continued. However, it highlighted recent research by HEPI and Kaplan showing that only 3% of employers said they had deliberately used the Graduate Pathway visa. Additionally, 27% of employers said they were completely unfamiliar with graduate visas. A recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Students recommends that the higher education sector “create a clear international student employment strategy to support students and graduates , and provide them with the knowledge, tools and skills they need to navigate the different options available.” . them after finishing their studies.” As of September 19, therefore, new materials have been made available on the ISEG website and include videos, infographics for employers and guidance for international students. Materials will be distributed through a network of employers and professional associations as well as to students themselves. “Students are great advocates for the scheme, and if armed with the right material can help demonstrate the benefits directly to the employer,” ISEG said in a statement. “In addition, and importantly, the materials will give university staff and careers offices the tools to simply explain to employers how easy it is to employ international students.” Through the toolkit, ISEG hopes to spread the message to employers that hiring international students is not a time-consuming or expensive process – particularly under the Graduate Route. It wants to promote the fact that there are no fees associated or long-term sponsorship commitments required. “Graduate Route is an attractive option for all sizes of employer and is ideal for flexible or fixed-term work projects,” ISEG added. The materials also include interviews with employers who talk about their experience of working with the new visa system and the benefits it brings. “Gaining a sponsor licence has helped the strategy for our business in two main ways. One is recruitment and the other one is around diversity,” said Jake Third, managing director at marketing agency Hallam. “For recruitment, a lot of businesses in the UK are really struggling to hire top talent. This has reduced the barriers of entry for us. We are a marketing agency, and in the UK it’s predominantly a white and male industry,” he continued. “We’re looking to be at the forefront leaders in terms of improving our diversity.”