The demand for federal employees with foreign language skills continues to grow and the Partnership for Public Service has called on agencies to step up efforts to train and retrain employees who speak mission-critical languages by evaluating and improving existing education programs and expanding the number of languages taught.
In a foreign language skills “issue brief” it noted that over 80 federal agencies employ individuals with critical translation and interpretation skills in over 100 languages and demand is growing.
For example, DoD has said the need for military and civilian personnel with basic foreign language skills increased from 80,000 in 2006 to 141,000 in 2008 – and the State Department is projected to hire more than 1,100 Foreign Service officers in the next two years, according to PPS.
It recommended agencies make greater use of programs such as the National Security Education Program which awards scholarships to students to study foreign languages in exchange for a service commitment, as well as identify long-term goals and project hiring needs and determine how to fill them through a variety of channels such as new and current employees, contractors and even volunteers.
Agencies also should partner with colleges and universities to promote federal opportunities for foreign language speakers and to recruit top talent into public service, said PPS.
