Retaining and Developing International Talent
Last Monday, universities, international students, organizations, and institutions from the cross-border region gathered at FH Münster to discuss how Münsterland and Twente are attracting international professionals talents and explore future improvements. At the symposium, Retention of International Talent in the Local Ecosystem: Münsterland and Twente, organized by FH Münster, TAFH Münster GmbH, Münsterland e.V., Saxion University of Applied Sciences and World Trade Center Twente, participants exchanged ideas and insights through various keynote speeches and workshops. The event was supported by DAAD Campus-Initiative International Talents.
After Carsten Schröder, vice-president of FH Münster gave a warm welcome, Jessica Schüller from DAAD presented an engaging talk on building Supportive Career Ecosystems for Global Talent. Following this, additional presentations focused on labor market transitions and the cross-border ecosystem's welcome services in Münsterland and Twente. In the afternoon, participants continued their exchange in specialized workshops.
The workshop The Local Job Market – Hindering and Retention Factors, led by Nadine Pantel and Anna Hölscher, was exclusively open to students, creating a focused environment to explore their specific needs and perspectives on connecting with the local job market. In this session, students from countries such as Columbia, India, Iran, Mexico and Sri Lanka 🌏 shared their experiences, challenges, and hopes for building careers in the region.
As part of this exchange, Melina Freudenthal introduced TECH.LAND, which aims to help position the region as an attractive employment market for international talents. Students welcomed the program's focus on international networking and regional information resources, and we gathered helpful feedback on enhancing the region's appeal to international talent
Important factors here:
• 🌆 Supportive Environment: Many challenges occur outside the workplace. International talents need support in areas like language learning, finding accommodation, and navigating local authorities.
• 💼 Expanded English-Speaking Job Opportunities: There’s a strong demand for English-speaking job and traineeship opportunities to help reduce language barriers.
• 🎓 Changes at Universities: Universities should provide more support in connecting (international) students with local companies through networking events and company visits.
In the global competition for talent, events like this are becoming increasingly crucial to understand the wishes and needs of international talent and discover avenues for improvement. 🌟