Press Release

Full steam ahead for languages in skills agenda

7 April 2006

The outlook for languages in specialised diplomas and apprenticeships has been given a major boost with the announcement today of a new partnership between CILT, the National Centre for Languages, GoSkills, the Sector Skills Council for Passenger Transport, and the Sector Skills Development Agency – the Language Skills Alliance.

This guarantees consideration of languages in skills strategy developments across all sectors of employment, and representation of languages in decision-making forums on skills and employability, through the Skills for Business Network.

The Language Skills Alliance, which is funded by the Sector Skills Development Agency, will support employers in helping them to articulate demand for language skills that can be translated into appropriate education and training programmes for young people and adults. Languages will be integrated into skills planning and qualifications frameworks for a wide range of sectors of the economy. Language skills planning will complement planning for other cross-sector skill areas, such as management and leadership.

The Alliance is evidence of recognition at strategic level of the importance of languages for the UK’s international competitiveness, as well as for individual employability and adaptability of the workforce.

Isabella Moore, Director of CILT, the National Centre for Languages, said:

‘This is a major step forward for developing the UK workforce’s competence in languages. It provides the basis for language skills needs to be properly identified and fulfilled, so both private and public sector employers will reap the benefits of language skills, our young people will be better trained and more confident on the international stage, and the UK will be more competitive in the global economy’.

Peter Huntington, Chief Executive of GoSkills said:

'Employers have already woken up to the need for better language skills and have expressed concern about the decline in the number of young people taking languages. Our role will be to champion the cause for languages within the Skills for Business Network so we can support the development of learning programmes and qualifications that are relevant and useful to young people, older learners, and the competitiveness of the UK economy.'