Languages boost to deliver skilled workforce for UK's businesses
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A new drive to deliver a nation of confident linguists and ensure
businesses have the skilled workers they need has been unveiled by
School Standards Minister Nick Gibb today. Good language skills
open the door to exciting opportunities and careers. A survey of
employers by the Confederation of British Industries (CBI) and
Pearson found that almost two thirds of businesses say...Request free trial
A new drive to deliver a nation of confident linguists and ensure businesses have the skilled workers they need has been unveiled by School Standards Minister Nick Gibb today. Good language skills open the door to exciting opportunities and careers. A survey of employers by the Confederation of British Industries (CBI) and Pearson found that almost two thirds of businesses say foreign language skills are important among their employees, particularly in helping build relations with clients, customers and suppliers. Today’s announcement – which is backed by the CBI – will see the creation of a national language centre, along with nine leading schools across the country acting as language hubs, to improve the teaching of Spanish, French and German. There are 1.9 million more children in good or outstanding schools than in 2010, which represents 86% pupils compared to 66% in 2010. Today’s announcement will help to raise standards further and ensure our young people are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said:
The Government has already made modern foreign language teaching a priority through its inclusion in the English Baccalaureate and more pupils are now studying them at GCSE than in 2010. The first pupils have just sat the new gold standard modern foreign language GCSEs, which are on a par with the best in the world and deliver the skilled workforce Britain’s industries need. Matthew Fell, CBI UK Policy Director, said:
The Centre of Excellence – backed by £4.8 million over the next four years – will raise the standard of teaching in languages based on the Latin alphabet like French, Spanish and German by taking forward recommendations made in the Teaching Schools Council’s Modern Foreign Language Pedagogy Review led by expert headteacher and linguist Ian Bauckham CBE. The review noted that weaknesses in British graduates’ translation and interpreting skills loses the UK an estimated 3.5% of economic performance and concluded that the vast majority of pupils should study a modern foreign language until they are 16-years-old. Ian Bauckham CBE said:
The Centre of Excellence will be supporting leading schools across the country, which will work with local schools in their area to drive up standards in the teaching of languages through the sharing of resources and best practice. The Centre will start working with the first hubs from the autumn. The nine hubs will be led by:
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