Employer demand for speakers of languages other than English

Abstract

This paper reports on a small‐scale study that investigated the extent to which jobs advertised on two online platforms, Seek and 'TradeMe', mentioned skill in a language other than English as either a requirement or preference for potential employment. Data were collected during three separate weeks over the December to February 2015/16 period. Results showed that nearly 200 jobs referred to the desirability of skills in an additional language. Data collected allowed for information about languages most in demand and the profile of those jobs requiring language skills. While the results of this small pilot study do not furnish as strong an argument as we were hoping to make for including language study as an option at school, the fact that there were nearly 200 jobs over a three week period does represent a significant opportunity. The data also have potential relevance for careers advisors.