Bilingual Skills
Employers in Wales place a great deal of importance on bilingual skills, according to jobcymru research. When 300 employers in Ceredigion, Powys and Meirionnydd were recently asked about their skills requirements and needs, 70% of them replied that they ideally wanted people who could offer bilingualism as a work skill for some of the positions in their companies.
There are a number of reasons why employers like to be able to offer a choice of language:
- Customer service – customers like having a choice of language and companies realise that customer satisfaction is key to business success
- Quality of service – in all kinds of service, the ability to communicate bilingually can facilitate the work and improve quality – e.g. Health, Police etc.
- The Welsh Language Act, which makes it compulsory for public sector companies to have Welsh language policies.
"When people come into contact with the police they are often under pressure and in stressful circumstances. Under such conditions the need to receive service through the medium of Welsh can be very important. It also improves the relationship between the police and the public and makes people feel more comfortable."
Chief Superintendent John Lewis, Head of CID
Heddlu Dyfed Powys Police
Use your bilingual skills – they can help you in the world of work.
Employers look for bilingual skills on different levels – some ask for good written and verbal skills, whilst others ask only for quite basic verbal communication skills.
- Level 1 – no use
- Level 2 – some use e.g. amongst the workforce
- Level 3 – verbal communication with the public
- Level 4 – extensive use, including written use
- Level 5 – most of the work through the medium of Welsh
There is a shortage of people with bilingual skills for the following jobs:
- Social Work
- Dentistry
- The Police
- Nursing – especially Mental Health Care
- Speech Therapists and Language Therapists
- Physiotherapy
- Radiography
- Careers Advice
- Teaching, especially CDT, Physics and Mathematics
- Broadcasting Technology
- Finance
- Administration Management
- Business Management
- Local Government – especially in the fields of Technology, Finance and Environmental Health
- Catering and tourism
- Graphic Design
Take a look at your local newspaper to see how many employers advertise vacancies bilingually or state that Welsh language skills are an advantage, are desirable or essential to apply for all kinds of jobs.
Also, browse the database on this website for companies in Wales who say they employ people who use Welsh as a work skill on various levels.
