AIESEC UK Receives GAE Status
Access Global Talent Is Now Government Authorised Exchange
Sep 27, 2009
Following months of extended talks with the UK Home Office, the UK branch of the world's largest student organisation, AIESEC, has become the first entity to receive Government Authorised Exchange status for a global exchange programme.
AIESEC UK's Access Global Talent Programme
As a part of the AIESEC global exchange programme, AIESEC UK's Access Global Talent initiative allows UK companies access to top international graduates and postgraduates on a short- or medium-term basis. Offering highly-skilled talent to companies fighting the global recession, AIESEC UK's scheme is aimed at promoting cultural exchange and diversity in the workplace.
While UK immigration law and the new 'points-based' system had previously restricted Access Global Talent's non-EEA candidates to those receiving Tier 5 immigration clearance only, this development will allow UK companies to offer two to eighteen-month work placements to graduates and postgraduates from all over the world.
Government Authorised Exchange
New UK immigration laws dictate that anyone entering the UK for work from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) must fit into one of several 'tiers' in order to gain entry to the UK, with Tier 5 relating to youth mobility schemes and exchange programmes such as that orchestrated by AIESEC. AIESEC's newly-received clearance means that graduates and postgraduates from outside the EEA will now be able to enter the UK under this Tier 5 category.
This is good news for UK companies looking to recruit international talent directly from growing markets in Asia, Africa or the Americas. Many unique exchange schemes such as those run by the Law Society or the Mountbatten Institute have been granted Government Authorised Exchange status in the past, but AIESEC is the first organisation to gain such status for a globally-recognised and non-specific programme.
Exchange In A Globalised World
In today's markets, UK companies are seeking any edge possible over the competition in light of the global recession. This has led to a variety of expansions and shifts in direction from businesses on both a national and local level, and a renewed focus on developing new and innovative ideas, often drawn from other business cultures. These differing business cultures are brought ever closer by the age of globalisation, and in light of the UK government's decision to award GAE status to AIESEC UK, the idea of cultural exchange may gain a new significance.
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