Workforce Language Services

When we started this business, the intention was to figure out how to provide services that help people communicate in the workplace. It seemed simple and straightforward.  I didn’t realize how politically charged and intertwined our type of services can be, and how perspectives of limited-English populations really fall across the political spectrum. Below is an example from the UK where translation services are becoming a political battle.

But from another perspective, it also shows how important providing communications in one’s own language can be to government and social services. Read more.

CUTS to translation services will not improve integration and will affect the most vulnerable people, according to the council opposition group.

A Conservative newsletter for the Town ward claims that the council had decided to “radically reduce translation services”, however, a spokesman from Enfield Council said the authority was awaiting guidance from the Government before implementing any changes.

Cllr Jayne Buckland, Labour councillor for Haselbury ward, said: “By scrapping translation services, some of the most vulnerable people in our borough, people who pay council tax, who are entitled to services, would be prevented from accessing key services.”

She said proposed cuts to translation services - affecting translation in official documents and on signs - would affect a range of services, and criticised the comments in the In Touch with Town newsletter, saying they had caused alarm.