Government has announced a £1.3million investment in sign language interpreter and tutor training in Northern Ireland, reports RNID.
RNID celebrates campaigning success
Rosie Budd, Interpreter, Sir Reg Empey MLA, Brian Symington, Director RNID and John Carberry, Training officer, RNIDRNID Northern Ireland held a celebration event on 30 June to mark an announcement by the Minister for Employment and Learning, Sir Reg Empey MLA, of a £1.3million investment in sign language interpreter and tutor training in Northern Ireland.
The leading charity has been campaigning for many years for investment in the development of sign language interpreting training, with only 10 fully qualified interpreters currently serving a community of around 5000 deaf sign language users. The funding will provide for the establishment of courses to enable students to achieve their qualifications without having to travel to England. It will also ensure that deaf tutors of British and Irish Sign languages can become qualified teachers, creating education and employment opportunities for a community that has a long history of underemployment.
Brian Symington, RNID Northern Ireland Director said,
“This significant improvement in access to sign language interpreters will remove unnecessary barriers preventing many BSL and ISL users from leading fulfilling lives.”
The Stormont event was broadcast live from Parliament Buildings on BBC NI news, and has generated interest from the public, many of whom are interested in pursuing interpreting as a career.
The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has also committed £250,000 over three years for promotion and development of the languages.
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