It’s the right time to be studying Gaelic
The five-year National Gaelic Language Plan will increase demand – so be part of it
In the spring of this year the Scottish Parliament launched the new National Gaelic Language Plan, which covers the next five years, to help Gaelic grow. The plan aims to get people using the language more often and increase the number of learners and its everyday use. This is good news for all students wanting to pursue Gaelic courses: you are going to be in great demand once you qualify. Vacancies for Gaelic-speakers are growing through government and local authority jobs, NGOs and the entertainment and creative sector are major employers and earners both at home and overseas. It is calculated that more than £150million a year comes into the Scottish economy thanks to the Gaelic language – and that means a significant number of jobs, especially here in the Gàidhealtachd, the heartland of the language in the Highlands and Islands. Allan MacDonald, who chairs Bòrd na Gàidhlig, which compiled the report, said: ‘The opportunities for Gaelic to contribute to Scotland’s economic growth through business, education, publishing, arts, literature, drama, media and music will be pursued. This includes developing Gaelic medium workforce recruitment, retention, training and supply increasing the demand and provision for Gaelic education.’ Gaelic, or an awareness of the language and culture, is often seen as a valued asset in an employees’ CV in many tourism and hospitality jobs in the Highlands. Research by Highlands and Island Enterprise shows that employment in the creative industries, heritage, tourism and food and drink sectors, as well as the more obvious sectors like education are all are positively influenced by Gaelic. ‘Considerable opportunities are arising from the language’s potential contribution in helping to drive economic growth in the region,’ said Charlotte Wright, chief executive officer of HIE. Fèisean nan Gàidheal’s chief officer, the musician Arthur Cormack agrees that the arts are also important in terms of Gaelic’s economic impact with many people earning a living through the creative industries. ‘The arts raise awareness of the language and give some people confidence to learn Gaelic,’ he added.