Gaelic jobseekers need more than the media

Published on Friday 19 September 2008 22:17

THE number of job opportunities for Gaelic speakers has never been higher, a study has revealed.

But, as the new Gaelic TV channel, BBC Alba, launched last night, the team behind the research has also warned there is a danger that bilingual job seekers are swallowed up by the media.

Hecla Consulting was commissioned to carry out the research by Highland Council and surveyed 220 organisations. Of the 40 per cent of groups that responded, 81 per cent had Gaelic- essential posts.

Iain Campbell, the head of Hecla, said interim results show the growth in Gaelic-related job opportunities is extremely important for the survival of the language: "There are opportunities across a range of economic sectors which require Gaelic skills and the situation has improved dramatically over the past 15 years.

"That is very encouraging for young people who speak Gaelic and who come through Gaelic-medium education."

But he called for a major marketing campaign, because many skilled people who could be working in jobs where Gaelic skills are desirable or essential don't have enough information, or the encouragement, to take up the posts.

Mr Campbell said: "There is a drop-out rate of around 80 per cent (against the number of youngsters learning Gaelic] and that is dangerous for the future of the language.

"If we want to widen the market for Gaelic-related jobs, we need increasing numbers of young people to enter the jobs market."

The study showed many of the jobs are concentrated in the creative industries and in teaching. The launch of the new Gaelic TV channel is likely to increase that trend.

Mr Campbell added: "There is a chance that this will further bias the trend towards more of the Gaelic-speaking labour force working in the media.

"That is what happened at the beginning of the 1990s, when the Gaelic television fund was established. It is a problem in one way, but it is an opportunity in another.

"We have to ensure that not all the Gaelic-speakers are swallowed up by the media, but that is where policy-makers have to ensure that this jobs market is opened up to ensure that plenty of people enter the jobs market."

Dr Michael Foxley, Highland Council's leader and a Gaelic campaigner, said being bilingual gives youngsters an advantage in the jobs market.

"Gaelic gives people good, well-paid jobs. The tragedy is that a lot of youngsters seem to be unaware of the opportunities and the careers service and schools must do more to get through to parents and youngsters, what the possibilities are if they are fluent in Gaelic."

BBC Alba started broadcasting at 9pm last night. The final 12-hour countdown was marked by more than 400 pupils at the Glasgow Gaelic School who were joined by Linda Fabiani, the culture minister.

Ms Fabiani said: "This is a momentous day for the Gaelic community, as well as for Scottish broadcasting."

Meanwhile, a new website for people interested in teaching Gaelic is being launched at the Scottish Learning Festival in Glasgow on Wednesday.