Bilingual Workforce More in Demand Than Ever

by Morgan Wall

In a changing global climate, there is a growing need for a workforce that is bilingual at the least.

In Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, there are more than 700 international business firms. In the Triad, there are more than 200. These companies represent more than 40 countries and employ more than 60,000 people.

Dr. Loida Peterson, director of the center for foreign languages and coordinator for the community Spanish interpreter program at Surry Community College, spoke to members of the Mount Airy Rotary Club at Cross Creek Country Club Tuesday about the growing need for a bilingual workforce and what smaller communities such as Surry County can do to be prepared for that need.

Peterson was born in Africa to missionary parents from Portugal. She can speak five languages including English, Spanish and Portuguese. Brought to the area for her husband’s work, she found a place at the community college as an English as a Second Language teacher. She quickly expanded her role by being part of a group which wrote a grant to expand the number of languages offered in the area.

Along with Davidson County Community College, Rockingham Community College, Montgomery Community College and Randolph Community College, SCC wrote a WIRED grant and received $250,000 from the first part of the grant to buy wireless carts and engage in distance learning.

With the first part of the grant, Davidson County Community College has begun offering an Asian language program. The school has hired a Japanese instructor, and students from the participating colleges can use distance learning classrooms to take the class. If the community college receives the second part of the grant, it will be able to expand the program to include Portuguese in Surry County, Middle Eastern languages in Montgomery County, Russian in Randolph County and Italian in Rockingham County.

“We’re trying to bring some globalization to the college. As a more rural community, we have a more difficult time with everything because we don’t have the people. It is much more difficult to find the resources, so we’re learning to share,â€