CILT Cymru works with CILT, the National Centre for Languages, aims to promote a greater national capability in languages for business and employment. We do this in several ways:

• By researching and raising awareness of the social and economic benefits with policymakers, stakeholders, employers and employer representatives such as the Sector Skills Councils;
• By helping businesses improve their performance through effective international communications planning;
• By supporting providers of language services (e.g. trainers, interpreters, translators) in delivering services which meet employer needs;
• By developing and maintaining National Occupational Standards for languages in the workplace, for interpreting and for translation;
• By working with awarding and regulatory bodies, the UK education departments and funding agencies to improve the quality and uptake of languages provision in vocational contexts;
• By helping individuals develop and use their language skills for work;
• By identifying and sharing good practice in all these areas.

Linking employers and education

By matching a school or a college to a local employer with an international dimension, the Business Language Champions scheme aims to bridge the gap between employment and education and help students to make the connection for a brighter future.

This work supports the aims of the Languages Count (pdf 612kb), the National Foreign Languages Strategy.

To find out more, please click on the links below.

• Introduction - A few words on the business case for language learning and on how you can work with local schools and colleges.

• Skills Audit and National Modern Foreign Languages Strategy - How well are we doing and what does the Assembly Government want us to do about it?

• The Business Case for Languages - No, they do not all speak English and that is costing you money. Here, you can find a series of useful guides published by CILT to help you work with other languages and cultures, together with an extensive series of country guides.

• Multilingual Websites - People are 7 times more likely to buy if addressed in their own langauge. What does you website say - or fail to say - about you?

• Case Studies - Business which have come up against the language problem and found the solution.

• Using Professional Translators and Interpreters - Your neice's neighbour's nephew's girlfriend's brother does have GCSE French, but that doesn't mean he can translate. Translation is an extra special skill and why you should not trust to amateurs.

• How to use the services of a professional translator? - How do you make life easier for you and for your translator?

• Writing for translation - It's not just a case of saying what you want to say in Englsih, there are a few other points to bear in mind if you want to get the best from the job.

• Professionals - pages for those in the language professions, be they translators, interpreters, tutors or advisors.

• Links - Many interesting and useful sites for professionals and the rest of us.