Atlas Newsletter – July 2007
Languages back on Britain’s agenda
It’s official: languages are set to make a comeback in Britain’s schools. Plans to introduce compulsory language lessons for students from the age of seven and encourage more secondary students to opt for languages at GCSE level were laid down in a recent report commissioned by Education Secretary, Alan Johnson.
The Languages Review report recommends an overhaul of languages policy that bodes well for both budding linguists and the nation’s economy. Pupils, says the report, should receive teaching which is relevant, motivating and specifically geared towards the academic or vocational route that they decide to take, together with more opportunities to visit and work abroad. Atlas supports this strategy, as this new generation of skilled linguists comes of age, Britain’s employers will be able to reap the benefits of having a multilingual, multi-skilled workforce with enhanced levels of cultural understanding at their fingertips –exactly what is needed in the today’s global business environment.
Soaring Standards
Atlas has just become one of the very first UK companies to be certified for the new BS EN 15038 European Standard for Translation Services. This standard, which sets out and defines the requirements for the provision of quality services, covers every aspect of the business, from the translation process itself, through to service, quality assurance and traceability. The BS EN 15038 guarantees transparency, by offering clients a definition and description of the service they are purchasing, whilst establishing the procedures and requirements service providers must adhere to in order to be able to satisfy market needs.
Atlas Director, Clare Suttie, commented:
“We take pride in the quality of all our work and everyone at Atlas Translations is delighted to have official recognition through BS EN 15038 certification that the translations we deliver are as accurate as possible, with quality checks at every stage of the translation process.”
Atlas: an ethical employer
Atlas has always prided itself on being an ethical employer but, as an ever-increasing number of employers are now discovering, this is a trait which certainly seems to pay off. Not only, it would seem, do happy staff make for a pleasant working environment, they are also more likely to be motivated, work harder and be more productive, be that in terms quantity or quality of output. But what exactly is an ethical employer? And what does it take to become one? According to Kim Stoddart, managing director of ethical media relations company Blue Rocket,
“An ethical boss is one who treats their staff well and never forgets that a workforce is the heart and soul of every business.”
The directors at Atlas certainly strive to achieve this with all their staff, Clare Suttie commented: “We aim to “include, rather than exclude” employees, so that they feel that they are valued and that their contribution matters. We have established and maintain effective channels of communication through regular appraisals, so that employees can discuss problems and seek guidance on their role and its progression. Atlas rewards employees through incentives and bonus schemes. One simple but welcome reward that Atlas particularly favours is ‘Chocolate Friday’, where employees are rewarded with chocolate for getting through a tough week in the office!
New additions to the Atlas team
Atlas would like to wish a warm welcome to new recruits Agnieszka Kostus and Eleanor Dutton, who will both be taking on the role of Project Managers. Read next month to find out how each of them is getting on in their new job and what they have been up to since starting at Atlas!
The arrival of new work placements Anna Rezlaw and Anna Noetzel means that Atlas now has a grand total of 3 Anna’s (including Anna Counsell, Quality Supervisor) working in the office at present. So please, make sure you ask for the right one if you call!
It’s good to talk!
Atlas recently completed a hugely successful telemarketing campaign on behalf of Ferrari, for which its linguists were asked to contact car dealers worldwide to conduct telephone research. Conducting market research by telephone is a well-established method, which enables companies planning to expand overseas to ‘test the water’ and gather information in potential foreign markets prior to launching their products, commissioning a foreign language website or having company literature translated.
Over the years, Atlas has discovered that telephone research is usually welcomed by those it is aimed at and, furthermore, that the companies who commission this research are often pleasantly surprised by the results, with many of them eventually expanding their business to the most unexpected locations.
- News Jun 2007
- News May 2007
- News April 2007
- News March 2007
- News February 2007
- News January 2007
- News December 2006
Press/Public Relations
Press Office
Atlas Translations Ltd
Clare Suttie
Director
Phone: +44 (0)20 7240 6666
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