Entering high school in the age of the long-forgotten Asian Century white paper, my friends and I got plenty of supportive signals about the value of acquiring Asia-specific capabilities, with language study at the top of the list.
Now, ahead of the election, Labor has announced a $15 million grants program for not-for-profit community language schools to keep Australia’s diverse cultures and traditions alive,and because, it says, “learning a second language also helps Australian kids – regardless of their language or cultural background – prepare for the economy and jobs of the future”.
This mirrors the narrative I heard 10 years ago on the release of the Asian Century paper, but as my cohort now considers our employment options, there is a missing link among the jobs of today: businesses, governments and even universities rarely put much of a premium on hard-won language skills.
Racheline Tantular is an Analyst at Lydekker.
Read the full article on The Sydney Morning Herald.
