Internationalising Higher Education

There is an interconnectivity between language learning in education, enterprise and the economy. In this poster, key pieces of research will highlight the importance of international awareness and communication skills for UK business and the economy, focusing on how education and business can work together to develop young peoples' international communication and awareness skills. More than one third of UK based employers recruit people for their languages skills, but they are increasingly forced to recruit overseas to meet their needs. CILT's Business Language Champions programme helps SMEs and multinational companies work in schools to develop these vital skills in young people. Through this programme, over 150 businesses from across different sectors have been inspired to work in schools to encourage young people to understand the importance of languages and cultural awareness for their future careers. This poster will present a range of case studies from the different companies working with CILT to explain how and why UK-based SMEs and multinationals are supporting education to develop global citizens. This poster will offer practical advice on how others can get involved and how the Business Language Champions model can be applied to develop global partnerships. Please note, this poster presentation will take place on Friday 26 March 2010 with posters from the Global partnerships theme.