INDIAN STUDENTS | Business Upturn

Indian students in the UK struggle to find work despite spending thousands on ‘rip-off’ degrees, we’re sorry to inform you

Avinash Ram — Sat, 05 Aug 2023 03:34:05 +0000

“My regimen was straightforward, boring, and anxiety-inducing. I used to get up early, clean, get ready for my part-time work, and then have breakfast while looking through LinkedIn for full-time employment options. My lunch breaks were spent doing additional job searching, even though my part-time work kept me occupied during the day. I used to cook for the evening and the next morning after returning home, as well as finish the rest of my responsibilities. Remembering her final three months in the UK, Nisha Arora* writes, “And guess what the remainder of my evening and night was about? Applying for full-time jobs that I discovered while scrolling through LinkedIn.

2019 saw the graduation of Nisha (name changed), who studied for a master’s in English literature in the UK. Her ambition of studying and settling down in the UK has turned into a nightmare when she discovers how difficult it is to get a job there. She chuckles, “I used to joke that trying to get a job in the UK would cause me anguish for the rest of my life. Several other Indian students who were pursuing degrees in the UK had to return home, like Nisha. They struggle to get a full-time work in the UK despite having spent over £10,000 on a Masters degree or more on an undergraduate degree.

Three out of ten graduates, according to information gathered by the Office for Students (OfS), struggle to find highly specialised employment. The UK government has also given the OfS instructions to make sure that programmes that don’t turn students into jobs are subject to harsher regulations.

Poor Education Results In Unemployment :

Prime Minister of the UK Rishi Sunak recently brought this to light as well. “Some of the top institutions in the world are located in the UK, and earning a degree may be quite gratifying. But too many young people are being sold a false fantasy and wind up doing a subpar course at the expense of the taxpayers with no guarantee of a respectable job at the end of it, he claimed. Additionally, Sunak has noted that too many students are being requested to sign up for foundation year, an extra year of study that serves as a path of transition for degrees with certain admission criteria. The maximum tuition for foundation year courses should be cut from £9,250 to £5,760 (about Rs. 6 lakh), according to a UK government recommendation.

“Young people from India are being sold fantasies of having a high employability in our nation, but those illusions simply do not exist anymore. According to Tripti Maheshwari, director and co-founder of Student Circus, a job search portal for international students in the UK, and a UK graduate, “we work with the majority of UK higher educational institutions to provide students with employability support, so it is not the quality of education that is preventing them from accessing gainful employment.”

“Even though the UK is known for being a sports-fanatic country,” explains Shrey Upadhyay, who earned his MSc in Business Management in Sport from De Montfort University, Leicester.

“I was an intern with a small sports coaching business in the UK, and while my employer appreciated my work, they were unable to give me a full-time position because they lack sponsorship rights. The only answer we could come up with was for me to work for them from India as a consultant,” he continued.

Students begin looking for employment as they near the finish of their degree. However, getting rejection emails is becoming typical. “I had a six-month extension visa, and my course was 18 months long. I submitted applications for over 200 positions, but I just received the normal automated response. It really affected me, and I started to wonder what I was doing wrong, but then a friend in HR told me that the companies weren’t hiring people for whom they needed to sponsor visas,” recalls Siddhi Dolas, who went on to earn an MA in Fashion Media Production, Communication and Media Studies from the London College of Fashion, University of Arts London.

Asserting Dolas’ assertion, Nisha* said, “I was looking for maybe 25–30 jobs based in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and a few other areas. Imagine receiving rejections from several time zones, then. We are sorry to tell you was the first thing I read when I got up, and I did so again before bed.

It’s “light at the end of the tunnel.”

Some kids, nevertheless, have already begun to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel. Akshat Vashistha of Jaipur received two offers after submitting almost 500 applications to employers and paying about Rs 45 lakh for a master’s degree in financial analysis and fund management from the University of Exeter. My education ends on September 1, and after applying to roughly 500 jobs and receiving rejection letters from the majority of them, I have received offers from two companies: Invesco, an investment management business, and JLL.

He said, “The process has been challenging since one starts to lose faith after getting so many rejections. In addition, the employment market is not very good because of the economic downturn. “I used to submit job applications on Indeed and LinkedIn. I occasionally got responses, but the most of the time I got nothing. Even if you receive an interview call, there are numerous rounds: a recorded interview, a team interview, a technical interview, a team interview with HR present, and then the call letter and offer. But if you keep trying, I think you’ll succeed in the end,” Akshat remarked.

Technical jargon: the demise of the aspirations of foreign pupils

Some people say that technical language and others say cost-cutting are the main factors that deter firms from recruiting overseas students. Speaking from personal experience, Siddhi noted that the fact that “it was right after COVID-19 and the economy was still recovering” caused many businesses to focus on cost-cutting and was one of the reasons she was unable to find employment in the UK. “I believe that one main reason why firms are hesitant to hire overseas students as full-time employees is that they believe the paperwork is too difficult. But in actuality, it’s not all that difficult. So the only thing standing in the way of this procedure, according to Shrey, is the technical language.

“One of the major gaps we notice in the employability environment for foreign students is the lack of employer understanding surrounding the ways they may collaborate with international graduates. For instance, the Graduate Route was created so that firms could work with overseas talent without having to sponsor them for two to three years. However, HEPI found that fewer than 3% of employers really used the approach. In contrast to the fact that there is a skills shortage in some industries, overseas graduates are having trouble integrating into the workforce, according to Tripti.

Students should search the public domain for the essential skills shortage list posted by the UK government, according to Suneet Singh Kochar, co-founder and CEO of Fateh Education. Instead of adhering to past patterns, Kochar recommended pupils to undertake their study and take into account current events. Because of the urgent skills shortage, there are many open vacancies. You still have to battle for them, but there are still chances. Examine the futuristic courses, advises the students. The globe, the UK, and India should all be observed in order to determine the direction of the economy, the future of the nation, and the nature of the demand. According to him, more AI specialists would be required if demand for AI increased.

Is a degree from the UK worthwhile?

What’s intriguing is that many of these students said that the experience was worth the money when asked whether they would do it again. “The knowledge I received and the experiences I had more than compensated for the cost of the course’s tuition. I have my reservations if I only consider the financial and employment aspects, but I wouldn’t argue that it wasn’t justified in any way, Shrey remarked.

Others, like Akshat and Siddhi, reflected warmly on their time spent in the UK and concurred that the experience they gained there was something they would not have obtained in India. It enables independence. You gain a worldwide perspective by interacting with individuals of other nationalities, and studying abroad, of course, opens you a world of career and personal prospects. The exposure you receive here is not something you would receive anywhere, according to Akshat.

The six month extension around Covid was a waste as I was trapped in the house the entire time and it wasn’t any good, Rittika Mittal, who earned her LLM in the UK, disagreed with others and claimed the money she spent on her degree didn’t seem to be worth it as “what I got was just exposure.”

*As reported in Times of India Name changed on request*

Indian Embassy in Kyiv urges Indians not to move to border posts without prior notice

United News of India (UNI) — Sat, 26 Feb 2022 05:58:08 +0000

Kyiv/New Delhi, Feb 26 (UNI) In a fresh advisory, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine on Saturday urged Indian nationals, especially students, not to move to the border posts for evacuation without prior coordination with MEA officials. It said the Embassy is “finding it increasingly difficult to help the crossing of those Indian nationals who reach border checkpoints without prior Intimation”. The advisory read: “All Indian citizens in Ukraine are advised not to move to any of the border posts without prior coordination with Government of India officials at the border posts (helpline numbers established) and the Emergency numbers of Embassy of India, Kyiv. “The situation at various border checkpoints is sensitive and the Embassy is working continuously with our Embassies in our neighbouring countries for coordinated evacuation of our citizens. “The Embassy is finding it increasingly difficult to help the crossing of those Indian nationals who reach border checkpoints without prior intimation.” It urged the Indians to stay in the western cities of Ukraine, which are relatively safer rather than move to the border points on their own. “Please note, staying in western cities of Ukraine with access of water, food, accommodation and basic amenities is relatively safer and advisable compared to reaching border check points without being fully abreast of the situation.” On the hundreds of Indians stranded in the eastern parts of Ukraine, including Kharkiv that is near the border with Russia, the Embassy advised them to remain where they are until further instructions are issued. “All those currently in the eastern sector are requested to continue to remain in their current places of residence until further instructions, maintain calm, and stay indoors or in shelters as much as possible, with whatever food, water and amenities available and remain patient. Avoid unnecessary movement.” “We once again remind you to exercise caution at all times, be aware of your surroundings and the recent developments,” it said. On Friday, several Indian students and their families reached out to the Indian authorities posting videos on social media of their predicament, as they were stuck in underground bomb bunkers or subway stations with water and food running out

470 Indian students to exit Ukraine and enter Romania today, says Indian Embassy

United News of India (UNI) — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 15:33:32 +0000

Kyiv/New Delhi, Feb 25 (UNI) More than 470 Indian students are set to exit Ukraine and enter Romania through the Porubne-Siret border on Friday, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine said. It said that Indians at the border are being moved to neighbouring countries for onward evacuation. In a tweet, it said: “Today afternoon more than 470 students will exit the Ukraine and enter Romania through the Porubne-Siret Border. “We are moving Indians located at the border to neighbouring countries for onward evacuation. Efforts are underway to relocate Indians coming from the hinterland.” Earlier, the Embassy in an advisory notified two border points in western Ukraine for evacuation of Indians to the countries of Romania and Hungary. It also asked Indians to prominently paste the Indian flag on buses and vehicles while travelling to the border points of Chop-Zahony on the Hungarian border near Uzhhorod, and Porubne-Siret, on the Romanian border near Chernivtsi. The advisory read: “In this difficult situation, the Embassy of India requests Indians to continue to remain strong, safe and alert. The Embassy is also working round the clock to support the Indian community in Ukraine. Government of India and the Embassy of India are working to establish evacuation routes from Romania and Hungary. At present teams are getting in place at the following check points “CHOP-ZAHONY- HungarianBorder near Uzhhorod; PORUBNE-SIRET on the Romanian border near Chernivtsi. “Indian nationals, especially students living closest to the above border checkpoints are being advised to depart first in an organized manner, in coordination with teams from the Ministry of External Affairs to actualize this option. “Once above routes are operational, Indian nationals travelling by their own arrangements for transport would be advised to proceed to above border check points, and remain in touch with the Helpline Numbers set up at respective check points for facilitation through the border. “Numbers would be shared once the control rooms are established,” it said. “Students are advised to remain in touch with student contractors, for orderly movement.” It asked Indians to carry their passports, cash preferably in USD for any emergency expenses, and other essentials; Covid-19 vaccination certification if available; and a Print out of the Indian flag which should be pasted prominently on vehicles and buses while travelling. In another development, the Ministry of External Affairs’ camp offices in Lviv and Chernivtsi towns in western Ukraine to help with evacuation of Indian nationals were operational on Friday. Additional Russian speaking officials were being sent to these Camp Offices. Officials there are assisting Indian citizens who reach these cities, and will facilitate their departure from Ukraine through adjoining border crossings, the sources added. The first batch of Indian students have now left Chernivtsi for the Ukraine-Romania border, the sources said. Lviv is 70 km from the border with Poland, while Chernivtsi is near the border with Romania.

UK announced Graduate Student Visa for International students

Aayushi Singh — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 16:22:56 +0000

On Thursday, UK opened post study work visa for international students. UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, announced the graduate route visa.

The applications have been opened from this week, and many international students including Indians would stand to benefit from the visa.

Students could apply to stay in the UK for work for at least two years under the Graduate Route Visa. And in order to avail the benefits of the visa, the student must have obtained a degree from a recognised UK university.

Talented students from India and across the globe could now have the opportunity to kick start their careers in the UK at the highest levels of business, technology, arts and sciences, under the UK Government’s point-based immigration system, said Priti Patel.

UK Home Secretary added that once the students have received their world-leading qualification from one of their educational institutions then the new visa would give them the freedom to fulfil their aspirations and advance their careers. This was also an important step in the UK-India 2030 roadmap, and was launched by Indian PM, Narendra Modi, and UK PM, Boris Johnson, in the year 2021.

The UK’s Graduate Route Visa provides international students with an opportunity to stay in the UK and work or look for work. It’s available for the international students who had been awarded their degree to stay in the UK at any skill for 2 years or 3 years for the doctoral students.