“Professionals who manage their company’s workforce mobility function have seen remarkable change in recent years, and need sophisticated training on a range of topics. We can help by introducing them to our community of peers, experts and educators,” says Worldwide ERC®’s CEO Peggy Smith.  

Smith, who joined the workforce mobility association’s staff in May, is making an unprecedented offer to corporate HR professionals who have not attended the organization’s annual Global Workforce Symposium in the past: she’s waiving the registration fee and inviting them to come as her guest.

The 2010 Global Workforce Symposium, themed “Workforce Mobility: The Game is Changing…Are You?,” is being held in Seattle, Washington, USA, from October 27 – 29, and opens with keynoter Gary Hamel, named “The World’s Most Influential Business Thinker” by the Wall Street Journal. Sessions will address all aspects of U.S. and global workforce mobility, including talent management; tax, legal and immigration issues; housing concerns; relocation issues; family needs; global compensation and benefits and security. The program also includes a comprehensive exhibit program, a speed networking session to make quick and valuable connections with peers, and a Geek Speak Learning Lab for on-site technology and application support.

“Corporate and government HR professionals who manage a mobile workforce have some stiff challenges to cope with these days,” says Smith, who ran Microsoft’s global mobility program for 13 years, managing more than 60,000 U.S. relocations and international assignments during that time.  “The economy is a formidable issue for anyone in business today – and when you consider the complexities of talent management and sourcing, coordinating all the services and relationships necessary for a move, then factor in immigration and other compliance requirements, and add family concerns to the mix, that workforce mobility professional is going to be wearing a lot of hats.” Smith attended her first Worldwide ERC® conference in 2000, and says, “I never looked back – I loved the sense of community, the closeness and the knowledge out there. I want others to experience what I found by introducing our association and our Global Workforce Symposium to more corporate and government HR managers, because it’s a win-win for our association and for companies with mobile employees who want to stay competitive. It’s a fact: more HR professionals in our community will enhance networking and provide deeper industry data for everyone in the industry.”

To access Peggy Smith’s unprecedented offer: First-time corporate attendees can complete the “Introductory Offer for First-time Corporate HR Attendees” registration here.

Find more information on the 2010 Global Workforce Symposium web site, or call or e-mail the Worldwide ERC® Meetings Team at +1 703 842 3420, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

In the context of current migration measures that are working, the CIPD argues that the abrupt introduction of a cap on skilled migration from outside the EU would have damaging effects on organisations looking to hire in areas where there is a UK skills shortage, such as engineering. Instead, the points-based system should continue, alongside an increased focus on developing UK talent in those areas where there is a skills shortage. This will gradually reduce net immigration in the long-term.

Gerwyn Davies, Public Policy Adviser, CIPD, comments, “Today’s figures offer further evidence that the points-based system is robust and working.   The reality is that employers would rather not hire labour from outside the EU because it is costly and time-consuming, but many are forced to because of the skills shortages that still exist in the UK.

Immigration specialists Newland Chase explain the temporary immigration caps imposed on Tier 1 (General) applications made outside the UK and Tier 2 (General) on July 19, 2010.  Permanent caps are due to be introduced on Tier 1 (General) and Tier 2 from April 2011.  In order to inform policy regarding the mode of implementation for the permanent caps, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) has a consultation regarding the permanent caps open until 17 September.  The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been tasked with making recommendations to the Government regarding the numerical limits of the caps for the first 12 months and is running a separate consultation for this purpose until 7 September.

What are the proposals?

Fully Furnished, which provides furniture solutions to the property industry, has reported an increase in overseas buy-to-let investors, particularly in central London. Managing director Alec Watt says the increase has led the company’s furniture sales division to experience a rise in enquiries so far in 2010.

Mr Watt comments, “Although still faced with its challenges, there is more confidence currently in the UK property market, and demand for rental properties remains very strong. Recognising the increase in rents now being achieved, we are seeing more international investors than ever choosing to make an investment purchase in our capital city. Therefore, as we move further on into the second half of the year, we are continuing to focus on this market with the recent launch of our new low-cost furniture and accessories package, the Essentials range, which has been specifically designed with investors in mind.”

Intercultural training organisation Farnham Castle has announced significant growth in delivery of its online training programmes during the past six months. The organisation has now delivered full intercultural training as well as regular online language tuition.

Farnham Castle offers the option of participating in its entire range of intercultural workshops, overseas assignment briefing programmes and intensive language training over the internet. This is achieved through a combination of WebEx and the use of a custom-designed web-based training platform that allows simultaneous group and one-to-one delivery and mentoring.

The following update is provided by corporate immigration experts Magrath LLP.

Beginning on 8 September 2010, all persons travelling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program who have not already obtained the mandatory Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval from the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) will be required to pay a congressionally mandated fee of $14 in order to do so. The ESTA, which requires travellers from visa waiver countries to obtain online authorisation to travel without a visa before entering the US, is applied by accessing CBPs website (www.CBP.gov) and following the link to the ESTA page.

When ESTA was launched last year, there was no charge for submitting the online application, and this will remain the case until 8 September, when the fee goes into effect. Persons already holding valid ESTAs obtained prior to 8 September can continue to use them to travel to the US after that date and until their ESTA expires, which is either two years from the date of issuance or when the traveler obtains a new travel document, whichever comes first.

For further information, visit www.magrath.co.uk

After weeks of nail-biting suspense for A-level students and their families, this year’s results have finally been revealed. 2010 was another record-breaking year. The pass rate rose for the 28th consecutive year, and one in 12 students was awarded the new A* grade.

UCAS, the body that manages applications for higher education courses, said that 660,000 students had applied for university in what is being described as the most competitive year for university admissions for a decade.

The future of HR and its changing parameters will top the agenda at this year’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Annual Conference and Exhibition, which takes place from 9 to 11 November 2010 at Manchester Central. The programme has been designed to address the challenges faced by organisations as they emerge from recession and plan for the long term.

The opening keynote speech will be delivered by Ram Charan, an acclaimed business adviser and best-selling author. Closing the conference will be a stand-out debate into the big issues around the way we work and the implications of government debt reduction on public-sector reform, and, more generally, on the economic recovery. The debate will be facilitated by Krishnan Guru-Murthy, of Channel 4 News. Joining Mr Guru-Murthy in the closing keynote will be Chris Grayling, minister for employment, Lucy Adams, director of people, BBC, Gail Cartmail, assistant general secretary, Unite, and Dr John Philpott, chief economic adviser, CIPD.

Come and meet Re:locate at the CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition in Manchester on Stand F95

For a full list of speakers, visit www.cipd.co.uk/ace

Move One and Target Logistics are inviting people to help them support the humanitarian effort to bring aid to the millions affected by devastating floods in northern and central Pakistan. The floods, some of the worst in 80 years, have already displaced as many as 15 million people and destroyed or damaged more than 600,000 homes, according to Pakistani officials.

Entire villages have been wiped out, leaving millions in desperate need of food and clean water supplies. The Pakistan government and other aid organisations are struggling to provide displaced people with food items, blankets, waterproof tents, medicines and other basic necessities.

Mobility Services International (MSI), which provides customised workforce mobility solutions for corporations worldwide, has introduced two new technology tools for clients. The tools, developed by MSI and integrated within its proprietary, secure Web-based portal, GlobePointe Client, are designed to provide clients and the company’s client service team members with greater access to information and data analysis.

The MSI CostEstimator is customised to reflect clients’ individual tier benefits and provide users with a real-time estimate of domestic relocation costs, in accordance with criteria supplied and policy authorisations. MSI also released its second-generation ad hoc report-writing tool, which gives clients and MSI users the ability to generate customised reporting from thousands of data fields from within MSI’s GlobePointe information management system.

Both tools are accessible 24/7/365 to authorised client stakeholders and the MSI client service team.

For more information, visit www.msimobility.com