Pictured: (l-r) Helping to promote languages as an essential student skill, Oakland International's Customer Support Executive Edith Hurst-Earl, Strategic Development Manager Pete Vaughan and Business Support Analyst Keith Davies.

Midlands firm, Oakland International, understands more than most businesses the need for good language skills in today's modern workplace. The company has direct operations in the UK and Ireland, but also deals with customers from Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands on a daily basis, and their network of haulier partnerships sees this extend across all of Europe to countries as far away as Greece and Russia. After working with schools such as St Augustine's in Redditch, the firm is delighted to see GCSE language uptake on the rise. 

 A multi temperature supply chain specialist in warehousing and logistics, Oakland has been helping to promote languages as an essential skill to students, with Oakland managers Edith Hurst-Earl, Customer Support Executive and a French national, Pete Vaughan, Strategic Development Manager and Keith Davies, Business Support Analyst, visiting the school on a regular basis.

 Mrs Jenny Rose, Head of Modern Foreign Languages at St. Augustine's stated: "Oakland International has worked with our school over a number of years, helping to promote Modern Foreign Language study in Key Stage 4.   

 "We continue to enjoy visits from Oakland employees, who each give very interesting presentations to our Year 9 students to describe their company, their role and the importance language skills play in Oakland's success. We are hugely grateful to Oakland International for giving up their valuable time to work with our students and we hope this link will continue to flourish in the years to come."

 As part of the Business Language Champions programme, when Oakland first began promoting languages within the school, foreign languages as an exam option had low uptake, but over the 4-years of Oakland's association, students taking language as a GCSE option has increased, as they realise that foreign language skills can directly help with future employment opportunities.

 Oakland International MD, Dean Attwell, explained: "Language presentations offer a number of key opportunities to discuss and explain to students the importance of foreign languages within any business and it gives us the chance to help make clear what it is companies are looking for when they recruit. Things like presentation, attitude and enthusiasm.

 "Foreign Language Skills are positive life skills, capable of opening fresh opportunities and avenues for employment today and in the future, and by being exposed to real business and talking with us about the many roles available we can help open their young minds to the idea of setting objectives at an early stage, goals that will help them achieve more in later life."

 Oakland's association with the language programme benefits the firm in a number of ways including staff development, improved links with the local community and a sense of accomplishment as part of Oakland's wider corporate social responsibility drive.