Multilingual Workers in High Demand

Whether companies are conducting business overseas or trying to earn a larger market share at home, employers are increasingly seeking bilingual workers. Employees who are bilingual in English and Spanish are particularly in high demand. Latinos are now the nation’s largest minority group, accounting for half of the population growth since 2001 (U.S. Census Bureau).

Why It Pays to Be Bilingual
To locate and secure valuable bilingual workers, employers are willing to pay top dollar. On average, bilingual pay differentials range between five and 20 percent more per hour than the position’s base rate (Salary.com). A recent study found that demand for bilingual employees is expected to rise over the next 10 years, with 70 percent of employers predicting Spanish-speaking skills will be highly sought after among job candidates (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

While having a bilingual speaker on staff can be helpful to any business, there are certain businesses where it is especially beneficial, including education and healthcare. To better teach students who speak English as a second language, it is important that teachers and other educators, like counselors, are bilingual. Medical practices should have a bilingual speaker on staff to communicate medical information clearly and accurately to patients.

Recruiter Korn Ferry cites nearly nine out of 10 headhunters in Europe, Latin America, and Asia say being bilingual is critical for success in today’s business environment. And 66 percent of North American recruiters agreed that being bilingual will be increasingly important over the next decade.

Bridging the Gap
In recognition of this, we have expanded our course offerings that are tailored to benefit the bilingual population. We recently revamped our Medical Interpreter Certificate program and have launched a new Legal Interpreter Certificate program. Interpretation is the unrehearsed transmitting of a spoken or signed message from one language to another. It involves listening to something spoken in a source language and providing an oral or signed equivalent into the target language.

“Being an interpreter is a challenging and rewarding experience,” said Lyn Cohen, program manager. “If you desire to enter this thriving career path, these programs will prepare you for it.”

Additionally, we are excited to offer a newly revised TESOL Certificate program. The enhanced platform is designed to provide a more well-rounded educational experience along with placing individuals in a better position for future opportunities.

“Our newly reformatted comprehensive course will expand your career options by learning in an interactive environment taught by instructors who all have a master’s education,” Lyn said. “Our quality training program focuses on the essential foundations to becoming a teacher of TESOL and TEFL. Hundreds of invaluable resources are provided within the course materials, which now includes an externship for live practice in the ESL classroom.”

Another new course designed to assist native Spanish speakers is our Heritage Spanish program. The three-part series will help Spanish speakers improve their grammar and fluency. It’s the perfect aid for those who desire to enter the interpreter’s field in the medical or legal setting, or to improve your career options in the business world.

“This course can accommodate students from a wide range of backgrounds,” said Carmen Carvajal, instructor. “Research has shown that being bilingual improves cognitive skills not even related to language. It also helps provide a better understanding and tolerance of different cultures.”

Occupational Trends

Translator/Interpreters

• Is the 5th fastest-growing occupation in the U.S.
• Employment is projected to grow 46% through 2022
• Median wage $43,590 (as of May 2014)
• Entry level positions can earn between $30,000 to $50,000
• The global market for language services is worth $38 billion, a 6.5% increase from 2014
• Language services are crucial in healthcare as diverse patients seek care for increasingly complex treatments

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

TESOL/ESL

• Greater demand for ESOL teachers is expected due to a growing number of individuals looking to learn or improve their English skills – especially in areas of the U.S. with high immigrant populations (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
• ESOL teachers earn a median salary of $41,806, according to PayScale.com.

What’s your starting point?
If you desire to know more, we have you covered. You can participate in one of our online webinar information sessions or join us at our biannual Open House.