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The focus of this chapter is on the career planning and decision-making needs of international students in higher-education-to-work transitions. The authors discuss the career guidance of these students as they approach the end of their educational program and, whilst influenced by both home and host cultures, make the decision to return home or pursue employment and/or permanent immigration in the host country. Helping students to explore their evolving value systems, in light of their cultural identities and goals, is an important part of this guidance. Multicultural counseling competencies for supporting the diverse population of international students is also an important factor.

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This study examines the career development behavior of Asian international and non-Asian international, and domestic students, specifically the certainty of career and major choice and environmental factors that have influenced their choices. Environmental factors include family, school counselors, teacher, friends, and government. The results show no difference in the level of career certainty between the three groups. In contrast, influences of family, school counselors, and friends varied among these three groups. Furthermore, only the Asian international students exhibited a positive correlation between level of career certainty and intent to persist. Implications and recommendations for counseling are given based on the research findings.

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The number of international returnees is increasing in emerging economies. However, very little has been known about their career development in their home country. This study explored how Vietnamese returnees from Australia developed their career after returning to Vietnam. The study deployed a qualitative approach using in-depth interviews with 15 returnees of Australian universities. The findings revealed the returnees faced a range of barriers hindering their career progression amongst which 'the rigid working culture' was the most significant and 'stereotyped perceptions about Australian qualifications' was an emerging issue due to recent changes in economy and society in Vietnam.

The findings revealed three main strategies that the returnees utilised to negotiate their employability including being 'navigator', being 'rebels', and being 'retreatist'. The findings also revealed that there was not a simple answer to whether Australian education outcomes were useful and applicable in Vietnam or not because the usefulness and application were determined by the extent to which the returnees could be able to use their overseas skills and knowledge. The study provided insights about constraints and opportunities in the home market and enrich the current literature about the returnee phenomenon. These insights would support international students to better support their plans for career development upon their return.

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This research focused on the career decision and planning needs of a unique group of migrants: international students who are completing their studies as temporary immigrants and who are embarking on the career journey of employment and permanent immigration. A semi-structured interview employing a Critical Incident Technique was used to assess the career influences of 19 undergraduate and graduate international students at a Canadian university. Data were analyzed using a constant comparison method and critical incident protocol. Students were motivated to remain in Canada due to enhanced job opportunities and high standard of living. Barriers to migration included the fear of not securing employment and cultural and linguistic barriers. International students would like to see campus and career services specified to the needs of international and graduate students to help them realize their goal of pursuing employment as the key to permanent immigration.

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This interactive online guide provides some essential tips and practical steps to help international students on their employability journey. The guide focuses on employment in Australia. While recruitment and employment processes differ considerably between countries, much of the advice presented here will be similarly useful for future work outside Australia. The guide is designed to help international students or graduates to navigate the issues they face when looking for work opportunities or progressing their career aspirations.

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The rising number of international students and their successful transition from higher education (HE) into the graduate labour market is a challenge for students but has also become a critical factor for host higher education institutions (HEIs). This development and general lack of quality in careers service provision for internationals raises strategic and service issues. Based on case studies generated from three European HEIs, I provide a contrasting analysis on careers service provision by taking current trends and developments and the views of careers representatives on the expectations of international students into account.

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The number of international students attending Australian universities has increased markedly over the past five years and has resulted in a need for career services that adequately reflect the requirements of these students. One of the Queensland University of Technology's responses to this has been the appointment of a full-time International Career Counsellor to develop career services for all international students. This case study discusses these services; outlines the findings of a survey of Asian employers; and describes the development of an off-shore work placement scheme.

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International mobility programmes, both in-person and virtual, aim to build human capital. Though there is evidence of their impact on skill development, there is scant research on career and professional benefits. Moreover, because virtual mobility is a new concept, there has been little investigation into how this mode affects the perceived benefits. Using the lens of human capital theory, this study explores outcomes of in-person and virtual mobility in the Queen Elizabeth Scholars-Advanced Scholars programme, which includes doctoral, post-doctoral and early career scholars. Through interviews with 23 scholars, we explore the perceived impact of the programme, considering mode of delivery, on the career and professional development of scholars. Despite challenges with the unexpected shift to virtual mobility during [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 lockdowns, both in-person and virtual mobility scholars reported benefits to their career and professional development. These results suggest that virtual mobility may be considered as a viable option to enhance the flexibility, inclusivity, and accessibility of such programmes.

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The 29th National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference 'No Frills' was held online for the first time ever on 7-10 July 2020. 'No Frills' is a well-known annual national conference where researchers, practitioners, providers and industry representatives come together and share knowledge, ideas, insights and solutions around Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector. The conference also provides valuable professional development opportunities through a program of hands-on pre-conference workshops or focus sessions incorporating activities on data and research analytics, and research practice.

The theme for the 2020 conference was 'Workforce ready: challenges and opportunities for VET'. The successful transition of an employee from education to job is essential to building a strong economy. But in a world where workplaces are rapidly evolving alongside technology and market demand, what does it mean to be 'workforce ready'? And what is VET's role in preparing students for work? There is much debate over how our future workforce landscapes will look, or what skills our workers will need to be successful at their jobs. However, one thing is clear, almost all workers will need to upskill or retrain throughout their working lives. What challenges and opportunities does this present for VET, and what plans should we be making for the future?

Edited abstract from publisher's website.

The available focus session is: Everything you need to know to become a VOCEDplus search expert / Rose-Anne Polvere and Radhika Naidu.

The available paper is: Converting Carmichael's VET in Schools legacy: certified for university, yet not ready for the workforce / Don Zoellner.

The available presentations are: Workforce ready in a transitioning regional economy / Carley Brennan; Diversification in higher education in Germany and its implications for the sustainability of the dual apprenticeship system / Thomas Deissinger; Good practice in supporting disadvantaged learners / Abby Duruz; Victorian Employer Skills and Training Survey / Anthony Frosh; Lifelong learning: a foundation for future work / Brett Hall; Realising their potential: career pathways for refugees / Peter Harrison; Redefining competency, challenges and opportunities / Michael Hartman; Now more than ever: the importance of vocational education and transferable skills / Renee Hindmarsh; Mandated upgrade from Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40110) to (TAE40116). Was it a necessity? What was the outcome? / Chris Ho and Jane Court; 'It's very hard for people like me to get the job' / Yi-Jung (Teresa) Hsieh; The modern worker: a guide to what employers want / Kristy Merrick; Digitally skilled VET graduates firstly need digitally literate VET practitioners / Allison Miller; The technology gap in Aged Care training / Charlynn Miller and Asheley Jones; Are VET for secondary school students workforce ready?: a study of their post-school employment and training destinations / Josie Misko and Emerick Chew; Skill mismatch skill shortage and skill gap in information technology industry: challenges and opportunities for VET / Geethani Nair; Ensuring our international VET graduates are workforce ready / Steve Nerlich; Apprenticeship non-completion in Germany: a money matter? / Caroline Neuber-Pohl; Exploring the recognition of prior learning in VET / Kristen Osborne; Apprentice and trainee completion rates in construction: building a skilled workforce / Eric Parnis; Are culinary educators an agent in the socialisation of toxic kitchen cultures? / Richard Robinson and Matthew Brenner; The fourth industrial revolution: the implications of technological disruption for Australian VET / Pi-Shen Seet; Becoming work ready through work: meeting the challenge in the APY Lands / Janet Skewes and Madonna Tomes; Future workforce ready?: how apprenticeships and traineeships can help / Erica Smith; Improving provider practice and value for money through outcomes-based program funding / Austin Whitehead; Addressing changing skill needs through rationalising VET qualifications: an exploration of international models / Bridget Wibrow; Converting Carmichael's VET in Schools legacy: certified for university, yet not ready for the workforce / Don Zoellner. Show less

This study provides insights into international students' perspectives of preparing for entry into employment in the Canadian workforce. From a human capital perspective, international students are valuable resources for the Canadian labour market and other countries where populations are in decline. However, most research on international students has focused on their initial transition experience, and available research on their employment experiences is often limited to the post-graduation transition. International students need to build their capacity for employment concurrently while they are studying, gaining local work experience. In this article we present an analysis of critical incidents collected from international students which highlights five key barriers in their experience of the Canadian work context, including policies and procedures, competition and economic conditions, challenges for navigating local cultural norms, language abilities, and their personal life circumstances. The discussion draws connections between international student recruitment and their longer-term goals for residency in Canada, with recommendations for bridging policies and services.

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