New online course for interpreters a welcome boost for migrant integration
New online course for interpreters a welcome boost for migrant integration
As part of the Federal Coalition Government’s commitment to more effectively integrate newly arrived migrants and refugees into Australian society, a new online training course has been launched to improve access to qualified interpreters in regional, rural and remote communities.
The new course, developed with $150,000 in federal funding, will help address shortages of credentialed interpreters in new and emerging languages.
The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) was funded to work with TAFE South Australia and RMIT University to develop the course. Enrolments are now open, and the first intake of students via TAFE SA will commence on 30 April (with RMIT to follow at a later date).
Federal Assistant Minister for Children and Families, Dr David Gillespie, said the new course would help strengthen the delivery of interpreter services in Australia.
“This Interpreting Skills for NAATI Certification course is a first of its kind and has been specifically designed to boost the number of interpreters available for new migrants who settle in Australia,” Minister Gillespie said.
“In a nation where a quarter of our population was born overseas, interpreters provide a crucial service by integrating migrants into society, for example conveying complex medical or legal information or simply helping someone make an everyday transaction.”
The course is delivered online and covers the basic competencies interpreters require, including social/cultural awareness and professional development.
All of the units have been developed to align with NAATI’s new certification framework to maintain the professional standards of interpreting services across Australia. To find out more about the Interpreting Skills for NAATI Certification course, visit RMIT or TAFE SA.
This is just one of numerous initiatives the Federal Coalition Government funds to support people who need language assistance. Others include the Translating and Interpreting Service(TIS National), the Free Interpreter Service and the Free Translating Service.