Just launched at the beginning of the year, International Link offers a variety of services, workshops and activities that aim to improve the integration of international companies and organizations in the local environment, with a focus on promoting the well-being of their foreign employees. (See the "Service du Mois" in this issue for more details).

For newly arrived expat employees, the challenges they face include: Where will my children go to school?  How does social security work in Switzerland?  How will my partner find a job?  What are Swiss people and customs like? International Link's members can take advantage of a comprehensive platform of services to address these questions.

As a first step, our Welcome Day allows expats to discover the tools available to them through International Link. Welcome Days were recently held at the CVCI on 21 April and 11 June.  At these half-day events, we provided an overview of our activities and an introduction to our services. Participants also received helpful tips and could learn more about the economy and politics of Vaud through presentations and interactive activities. The event was concluded by a buffet lunch featuring local specialties. The next Welcome Day will be held on 26 August, or before if the need arises, and attendance is free of charge for expats whose companies are members of International Link.

Improving the integration of expats is only one aspect of International Link’s mission. Another key objective is to provide opportunities for managers to share their experiences in order to find better solutions to common challenges. With this in mind, we recently held a seminar on expatriation and social security with Ernst and Young, where human resources professionals could gain more in-depth knowledge about the common risks, issues and challenges of having expatriate employees while engaging in fruitful discussion with other colleagues.

In May, we held a "Best Practices Breakfast" on the topic of work contracts for foreign employees.  To facilitate the discussion, a short presentation was made by our partner, PC&T, and a representative of the CVCI's legal department was also on hand to answer questions. Following the event, a Human Resources representative from Medtronic noted:  "It was a very good experience where we were able to exchange ideas and discuss differences between different countries. The atmosphere was very open and relaxed."

For more informal opportunities for networking, International Link has held several events together with the CVCI’s Business Club, where International Link members and expats had the opportunity to meet members of the local entrepreneur community.  Recent events included a dinner followed by watching a match of the Lausanne Hockey club and an International-Local Lunch, which started out with a networking activity and was followed by a buffet lunch featuring both international and local delicacies. Through these opportunities to mingle and interact, new connections were formed and more awareness was created between the international and local spheres.

This autumn, we plan to hold seminars on cross-cultural management, relocation coaching, the public school system, and more. We will also organize visits to companies in the region.

These are just a few of the ways International Link is facilitating the integration of companies in local environment. To find out more about the services we offer and how to become a member of International Link, Human Resources managers are invited to attend our International Link "Informational Aperitif" on July 6 at 4:30 pm. Please contact Laetitia Tierny at internationallink@cvci.ch, T. 021 613 36 68 to register.