Professionals for Foreign Markets: the Issue of St Andrews’ Brain Drain in Scotland
St. Andrews’s international reputation attracts thousands of talented undergraduates from around the world. Though beneficial for St Andrews’ culture and learning environment, many international students and their local counterparts choose to leave Scotland after graduation. 2017-2020’s graduate destinations surveys demonstrate that students overwhelmingly decide to take their world class degrees elsewhere.
As Scotland verges on a green energy revolution and potential independence, it is important to reconsider the relationship between St Andrews and the society around it. St Andrews students and their potential to contribute to Scotland could be more important than ever. This project aims to address this issue – reconnecting St Andrews graduates with Scottish opportunities.
We propose a pilot program which would connect enthusiastic undergraduates with work placement opportunities during the third year of their undergraduate degrees. This programme would provide a limited number of students with full-time professional experience at approved Scottish partner organisations.The pilot, as envisaged, would target those studying International Relations, Management, Economics, and Sustainable Development – degrees which are paramount for Scotland’s future, and yet have low retention. Partners could include public bodies like Scottish Government directorates, charities, or private companies like Scottish Power.
Through this initiative, graduates would gain professional experience and build connections with local organisations, thus giving them both the advantage of early career training and incentivizing them to remain in Scotland. Meanwhile, participating Scottish employers would have the benefit of accessing some of the most promising professionals in the UK. The program would be good for employers, students, and Scotland.