Signature celebrates National Careers Week
As Signature celebrates National Careers Week, we thought it was important to provide an insight into some the rewarding careers that are available to those who study our qualifications.
Deaf people are often undervalued and underappreciated, and can miss out on gaining a valuable education and access to sustainable employment. With 1 in 6 people now suffering some form of hearing loss in the UK and with up to 250,000 people using BSL in some form to communicate on a daily basis, now is the time to learn, teach, support and excel
British Sign Language
A qualification in BSL can be the gateway to an array of exciting careers. As well as being a fun and interactive language to learn, it provides you with the necessary skills to thrive and truly make a difference.
Career options can include, a teacher of BSL, an interpreter, a translator or a communication support worker (CSW).
Teaching BSL
BSL is a truly rewarding language; the ability and desire to teach is something that many people wish to have, it’s up to you whether you want to teach something that really matters.
The lack of quality sign language teachers is an unfortunate disadvantage; teaching people to sign is one of the most rewarding and inspirational things you can do, all you need is the drive and passion to truly make a difference.
Do you already have a teaching qualification? As a qualified teacher, you have the core skills and qualities that we require from our teachers. Teaching BSL is a great way to boost your employability and teach a language that really does make a difference to many people’s lives. Whether or not you choose to solely become a BSL teacher, or if you want to combine this with more mainstream teaching, the demand for sign language in the UK continues to grow, so the possibilities are endless.
We recommend that all teaching candidates complete at least Level 3 in British Sign Language, in order to have the relevant skills and competency to then be able to successfully teach. However, if you wish to progress further, then that’s great.
If you would like to progress all the way to Level 6, you will have the ability to teach all of Signature’s British Sign Language courses, in addition to other career options.
Other qualifications
as well as qualifications in British Sign Language, Signature offers qualifications in Lipspeaking, Deafblind communication and Deaf awareness.
They all provide opportunities to enter a range of specialised professions. You can find out some more information on our website.
Why Signature?
We are a registered charity and awarding body, with over 36 years experience promoting access for deaf and deafblind people.
We have helped over 420,000 people to learn BSL and communicate better because of our qualifications.
How can learning fit around me?
Whether you’re already teaching at the moment, or if you’re just discovering Signature qualifications, learning is flexible due to the availability to learn in short weekly sessions that can fit around you. Many of our centres offer a varied timetable, so day evening and weekend sessions are all possible.
If you think you may be interested in studying any of our qualifications, you can search for a Signature centre in your local area by visiting our home page and using the ‘find an approved Signature centre’ tool.
This is your chance to begin an unforgettable journey of self exploration and learning; Join us!
For more information, visit our website at www.signature.org.uk/career-paths or email us at communications@signature.org.uk. Alternatively, speak to our helpful customer support team on 0191 383 1155.
To gain some more information about National Careers Weeks itself, you can visit www.nationalcareersweek.com
