The Business Language Champions (BLC) programme is now entering its fourth year and will see the project move to a national development phase. Last year saw project partnerships established in five regions in England.

BLC aims to highlight the growing concern for the availability and level of language skills in the UK and to inspire companies to actively engage in partnerships with a focus on language learning.

Over the course of the year the project aims to

- raise awareness of the importance of international communication skills (ICS) in education and business
- raise awareness in schools of career importance of ICS
- raise awareness of education needs and potential contribution; and
- embed ICS firmly into the mainstream agenda of other bodies working in the education-business field.

Invovlement in the programme benefits both business and education and is supported by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

To read more about the programme to date, including case studies and how to get involved, visit

www.cilt.org.uk/employment/blc/index.htm

www.thebusinessoflanguage.org.uk
www.rln-southwest.com/blc/default.aspx