CILT's Business Language Champions programme has recently
introduced another group of students to the world of
business by linking their school to an export consultancy
organisation in Shrewsbury.
Year 9 students at Priory School were visited by the Director of
Stark Export Focus Ltd, who gave a serious of workshops to help
them understand the importance of languages in the workplace.
Director Becky Stark explained to students how she had developed
her language skills, both in an educational and working capacity
and how these skills had helped to create and exciting and
rewarding career path. She encouraged them to keep up their own
language skills to increase their future employability.
The Business Language Champions (BLC) programme, which CILT runs
in collaboration with the Regional Language Network (RLN), aims to
bring the world of work into the classroom to raise the profile of
languages and encourage more students to continue studying
languages.
Becky, who will return to the school over the
coming weeks to run more interactive workshops to help students
understand the increase earning potential languages bring, was
really pleased with students’ enthusiasm, she said:
“I think many of the students were surprised
at how widely their language skills could be applied in a working
environment. I was very encouraged by the level of interest
and look forward to working with the focus groups.”
Languages teacher at the Priory School, Lucy
Kelly, echoed these sentiments:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for students
to get first hand information about how languages can be used
outside the classroom. Becky's career illustrates the wealth
of professional opportunities that a language can open up.”
BLC project manager, Frances Pallett,
added:
“Becky is a very welcome addition to our ranks
of Business Language Champions. She is the perfect example of
the important role languages play in business and I would urge
other business people who make use of language or intercultural
skills at work to volunteer for the BLC programme and help inspire
the next generation of business leaders.
For more information on the Business Language
Champions programme, or to be involved, click here.