The Gateways into Languages graduate placement programme celebrated its official launch in April at the Institute of Engineering and Technology on London’s Savoy Place.

The event celebrated the success of the pilot phase of the DIUS-funded programme, which aims to improve the employability of students graduating from postgraduate translation courses through work placements in translation companies. Roevin took part in the project in partnership with the Association of Translation Companies , CILT, the national centre for languages, six universities and four other ATC-member translation companies.

The pilot phase of the programme demonstrated that a successful partnership between employers and HE institutions can produce excellent results by improving the work readiness of students and raising their awareness of how the industry works through first hand experience. Three of the nine students who took part in the pilot programme have been offered jobs in their host companies, including our own Natasha Williams, who initially joined us on placement last July, but soon proved herself indispensable!

The project has proved so successful that it has received extra funding from DIUS to develop the partnership further across England.

The launch was attended by students, employers and universities already taking part in the project, along with representatives from other translation companies, who had the chance to see for themselves the benefits of the scheme. Speeches came from Lord Dearing, a long-term supporter of Apprenticeships and Anne Davidson Lund, CILT’s Director of Policy Research.