Author: Dr Paul Hare, SCILT
“Generation global: Multilingualism and intercultural skills for a dual-competency workforce of the future” is a three-year Erasmus+ project, coordinated by SCILT on behalf of the Wider Engagement Network, and in partnership with the national centres for languages in Denmark and Norway. The first phase drew to a close on 2 October 2019, when SCILT hosted an event named “Make Languages Your Business”, which saw representatives from education, government, business and industry come together to discuss the successes and challenges of developing language and intercultural skills in the workforce.
Following invigorating presentations, panel discussions and round-table conversations, the event concluded with the launch of a toolkit, hosted on the SCILT website. This accessible resource has been designed to assist businesses of all sizes to engage with the themes of the project. The first section provides useful links and advice on how organisations can access available support to grow their international portfolios, while the second section lists a range of providers of courses for the development of linguistic and intercultural skills for their staff. In addition, users of the toolkit can access top tips for enhancing performance in these areas, and enjoy a series of videos in which high-profile professionals tell success stories relating to multilingualism and intercultural skills in their respective sectors. Lastly, a section on key reading provides links to relevant academic articles and official reports.
With similar events taking place in Denmark and Norway to conclude the first year, the focus for the second stage of the project, in 2019-20, is now shifting from business and industry to careers advisers, policy makers, school leaders, curricula writers and staff in colleges and universities. It is anticipated that associated partners from this group will contribute to the creation of a framework, based on demand from business and industry, which will result in increased language and intercultural skills within Scotland’s workforce of the future.
The toolkit can be accessed on the SCILT website.
