Liz Athey, Operations Manager, was recently invited to speak to students at a Stafford school as part of the Business Language Champions programme.
Liz Athey (left) pictured with Julia Moorhouse, Head of Languages at Weston Road High School
The Languages Day at Weston Road High School in Stafford gave Year 9 students, who will soon be required to choose their GCSE options, the chance to learn how language skills can improve their future career prospects. Representatives from JCB, Birmingham International Airport, Roevin Translation Services, Staffs County Council and freelance linguists gave interactive sessions on how languages are used in the workplace. The students were also given the opportunity to have a taster lesson in Polish and Chinese.
“The day went really well and it was great to have different perspectives on using languages to remind students of the vast range of opportunities on offer if they continue with their language studies.”
Julia Moorhouse, Head of Languages at Weston Road
Business Language Champions is a programme supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which aims to highlight the growing concern for the availability and level of language skills in the UK and to inspire companies to actively engage in partnerships with a focus on language learning. In particular, it aims to:
- help students to understand the importance of languages as a practical and critical skill for the workplace;
- help teachers to grasp the reality of businesses’ language needs and;
- help businesses to gain an insight into how the education system can support them to tap into crucial employability skills.
“Knowing another language opens up all kinds of opportunities in the workplace and I was delighted to be able to give the students an insight into the translation industry.”
Liz Athey, Operations Manager, Roevin