The global economy is demanding new linguistic skills for Australian businesses, a need which is being met by three TAFE NSW Institutes.
The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) has been working with a number of TAFE NSW Institutes including Northern Sydney, Sydney and South Western Sydney to ensure there is a pool of well-trained and highly-qualified interpreters to meet growing industry demand.
A NAATI-approved Diploma of Interpreting is offered at four campuses – Petersham, Meadowbank, Granville and Bankstown, and an Advanced Diploma at Granville and Petersham. They cover a range of languages such as Korean, Arabic, Persian, Mandarin and Japanese. To date hundreds of people have acquired the qualifications, gaining formal recognition of their linguistic expertise.
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TAFE NSW delivers NAATI-approved training. |
Northern Sydney Institute has been offering the Diploma of Interpreting (Paraprofessional Level) Japanese since 2005. The Institute’s Russell Scott said in Australia most employers like their interpreters to have a NAATI qualification. ‘It is the standard people expect.’
Keiko Endo-Hughson is Principal of J K Coaching and is bilingual in Japanese and English. Ms Endo-Hughson chose the Diploma course offered by TAFE NSW to increase the services she could offer as a contractor, adding interpreting to her teaching skills. It gave her business a significant boost.
‘My income increased by 50 per cent once I was NAATI accredited,’ said Ms Endo-Hughson. Having the NAATI accreditation on her business cards has also helped market her business more effectively.
Melissa Bizimis, State Manager of NAATI in NSW, said TAFE NSW is an institution endorsed and recognised as a quality training provider.
‘TAFE NSW provides an excellent system for professional development, and gives people an opportunity to gain both NAATI accreditation and a recognised qualification in translating or interpreting,’ Ms Bizimis said.
Sydney Institute’s Petersham campus also offers a range of languages from Indonesian to Spanish. There is a strong demand for places from Chinese and Korean candidates because more and more people are doing business with those countries.
