Addressing employability and enterprise responsibilities in the translation curriculum

Abstract

This paper discusses ‘employability’ in Translation Studies in the UK. After a review of current practice and developments, I suggest an adapted working framework that can be applied by Translation and Interpreting Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). I will argue that no single prescribed model can be applied to all institutions but that a holistic and collaborative approach is needed for a realistic implementation of employability practices in the curriculum.The context of the research on which the paper is based is the current conversations between HEIs and industry stakeholders. Efforts have been made to bridge the gap, but, according to recent studies, graduates still seem to be lacking certain professional service provision skills that are needed in industry. Employment has become a major concern in Higher Education as few will have a job for life given the current economic environment. Hence, graduates today are better placed if they have been encouraged to develop flexibility and adaptability. HEIs must thus now also address employability skills which, as the paper explains, have come to mean more than just finding employment. The research reported in the paper derives from an evaluation of the University of Portsmouth’s Master in Translation Studies where employability and enterprise skills are embedded, and are examined critically in the light of the new context.