Languages and STEM skills, opening doors!

SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, is working with businesses and schools in Scotland to promote languages as a key skill for employment.

Operating effectively in a global economy relies on many skills and includes the right language skills. People who can communicate, at least conversationally, can make all the difference in the conduct of business, consolidating relationships with existing suppliers and customers and opening the way to new overseas contacts. When combined with STEM skills, the career opportunities in a vast array of sectors widens.

Key facts from the CBI Education and Skills Survey 2013

Seven out of ten (70%) businesses value foreign language skills among their employees

  • French(49%) and German(45%) are the leading languages in demand, but those geared to businesses in China feature increasingly prominently – of those valuing staff with foreign language skills, 28% value Manderin and 16% Cantonese
  • STEM skills are in high demand and nearly two in five firms (39%) are having difficulties recruiting staff. 41% expect this to persist over the next three years
  • Shortages of STEM qualified technicians (29%) and graduates (26%) are widespread among firms in engineering, hi-tech/IT and science areas
  • Businesses recognise that they have a key role in encouraging more young people to study STEM subjects, enthusing young people about STEM (55%) and working with Universities to ensure the business relevance of the course (50%).

Read about people who have combined their STEM and language skills in the pharmaceutical industry, technologies and the Scottish Football Association and find out why they consider that learning a language is really important.

http://www.scilt.org.uk/Business/Jobprofilesandcareers/tabid/2867/Default.aspx

New Inclusion Resource from the John Muir Trust

Inclusion, wild places and the John Muir Award

This resource is a showcase of inclusion-related John Muir Award activity. This includes examples of the Inclusion organisations

(including schools and colleges) that use the Award and why they do. It also features short case studies from different sectors, and how the John Muir Award contributes to inclusion national policy. Click here to access a copy of the resource.

The John Muir Award is an environmental award scheme focused on wild places. It encourages people from all backgrounds to enjoy, connect with, and care for the natural environment. The John Muir Award is suitable from an upper primary level.

The Curriculum for Excellence and the John Muir Award resource helps people find out more about the John Muir Award and how it can meet a range of educational needs, recognise achievement, deliver Experiences and Outcomes through themes across learning. Access this resource here.

Ramblers Scotland – Get Outdoors weekend

Get active, get outdoors, have fun! 9th – 10th August 2014

Want to feel healthier and fitter this summer?

Ramblers Scotland are inviting you to put on your walking boots, get the bike out of the garage, dust off the dinghy and plan a weekend outdoors in Scotland with the family, on your own or with friends on 9 and 10 August.

Make a pledge to get active!

Whether you’re already regularly active or just getting started, Ramblers Scotland want you to create an adventure for the weekend and share it. They want to hear what walks, bike rides, runs, climbs, events you’re planning and want you to send in films or photos of you out there, having fun, being active and enjoying Scotland’s outdoors to the full.

The major sporting events this summer will culminate with the Commonwealth Games, bringing a feast of international sporting excellence to Scotland. However, all this sport won’t necessarily make much of an impact on how fit most of us are. So why not join in, take the pledge and have some fun? You’ll have nothing to lose, and plenty to win!

For more information click here.

Outdoor & Woodland Learning Scotland

Outdoor & Woodland Learning Scotland (formerly Forest Education Initiative) are holding 2 national networking events this year to launch their new organisation.

These will be held at Benmore Botanic Gardens, Dunoon on 19/20th September and at Falkland Centre for Stewardship on 3/4th October.

These events include a wide range of hands on workshops, presentations and networking opportunities.

For further information and to book a place at one of these events click here.