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Welcoming New Scots 

Our conference to promote the integration of migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers took place on 19th June 2007 at the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow.  The conference was called by the Home Office Advisory Board on Naturalisation and Integration (ABNI Scotland) and we were very pleased to work in close collaboration with them to plan and deliver this successful event. The Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise also very kindly supported Welcoming New Scots.

The event attracted over 200 delegates from across the sectors.  The new Minister for Communities and Sport, Stewart Maxwell MSP, helped to open the conference with a thoughtful and upbeat speech on the unique nature of the Scottish approach to integration and we were pleased that he could support this work so publicly. We had a mixture of speakers from across the sectors, highlighting the work of business, ESOL and citizenship and the role of the voluntary sector.

We ran the event as a kind of marketplace – an agora – where participants could listen to panels of speakers and engage in discussion from the floor, followed by sessions to enable people to gather round “contributor stalls” for more dialogue.  A wide range of organisations currently working in the field ran these contributor stalls; these were drawn from the voluntary and statutory sectors, providing a range of support to new Scots.  We were delighted to have the services of journalist and broadcaster Ruth Wishart to chair the whole event and bring her flair for questioning and opening up the subject, to bear.

The report around the event is available from Learning Link Scotland by contacting us at info@learninglinkscotland.org.uk.  We have made links below to presentations from some of the speakers at the event.  You will also find a copy of the delegate list and the list of speakers and contributors. 

Currently development work supported by Scottish Government, Equality Unit, is being carried out to take further the achievement of the Welcoming New Scots event.  

Presentations

David Metcalfe    Lloyds TSB

Charlene O'Connor    Skills and Learning Scottish Enterprise

Liz Jackson    Strathmore Foods

Rhona Hodgart    Anniesland College

Jean Howat    Stevenson College

The Open University in Scotland was one of our keenest contributors.  Their Diverse Routes into Higher Education information pack aims to provide information and support to encourage new and settled migrants, and black and minority ethnic groups including refugees and asylum seekers, to explore the benefits of higher education and to encourage integration in Scotland through education, employment, enterprise and training.

There is an online version of the pack available at www.diverseroutes.co.uk which contains general information about accessing higher education, including financial support, credit transfer and recognition of prior learning, professional development and English language courses.  Throughout the website there are case studies of individual learning journeys which illustrate the choices that can be made and the range of support available.

If you would like to receive a hard copy of the pack, please email Ebony Quinn on e.quinn@open.ac.uk or phone 0131 549 7141