Languages for Jobs: ‘Providing multilingual communication skills for the labour market’.

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The thematic working group, set up by the European Commission in 2010 as part of the Open Method of Coordination between the Commission and the Member States, has published a report entitled "Languages for Jobs – providing multilingual communication skills for the labour market".

The report has been drawn up as a response to the main challenges associated with provision of language skills for the labour market and its objective is producing policy recommendations which can bring about a better match between demand and supply of language and communication skills on the European labour market.

After collecting, analyzing and discussing examples of good practices, studies and relevant policy developments and challenges in the participating countries and at European level, the experts has achieved the following findings which constitute an appeal to sharpen the focus on employment-related aspects of language training:

- The demand for foreign languages and communication skills is steadily rising on the labour market and new methods of teaching langauges are encouraged to be developed and disseminated. These methods should be learner-focused, practically oriented and more applied to professional contexts.

- Effective communication and cultural awareness are important elements of langauge teaching as intercultural competence, ability to work in multilingual and multicultural teams, flexibility and good communications skills are highly demanded by the employers.

- Mobility of both learners and teachers needs to e further increasd and supported.

- Partnerships between local and regional authorities, business and education could be developed for the purpose of increasing funding for mobility and langauge preparation in connection with mobility on all educational levels.

- Specialized methods of language teaching have to be accommodated in order to respond to professional needs in the vocational education and training sector. Therefore, specialized teacher training for langaue teachers in vocational education and training needs to be developed too.

- Both public authorities and companies should be involved in the financing of vocationally oriented langauge training in general and the linguistic preparation of mobility actions and work placements abroad in particular.

- The new generation of EU education programmes is to be explored with regard to opportunities for partnership on different levels.

- Dialogue between education and the world fo work is encouraged with a view to enabling employers to take part in the continous evaluation of teaching syllabuses and to contribute to guidance of students concerning their career choices.

- Diplomas and certificates as a proof of langauge competence relevant for porfessional purposes should be developed (new SurveyLang methodology, Europass Language Passport and the Common European Framework of Reference).

- Although English is extremely important, a wider offer of langauges to be taught and learned in the educational and training systems should be promoted.

- Vocationally oriented langauge training of adult learners as a means of supporting career changes and lifelong learning should also be encouraged.

- Language brought by immigrants should be valorized and used strategically.

- Continuous support to employers in order to understand how to best exploit langauges skills of their employees is required and can be provided by trade promotion organizations.

A compendium of good practices illustrates the findings of the report and a table of recommendations for actions planning is also provided.

For more information, please download the full document: ‘Providing multilingual communication skills for labour market’.