Universities supporting graduates

From our experience once our graduates terminate their course and do not pass the accreditation test they find an alternative job and are not motivated to resume training. We give access to students to use the interpreting lab anytime of the day. Any suggestions? Thanks.

In the UK, master programs only last a year. Is this enough? In other countries, programs are two years long, sometimes longer. Is this enough? Regardless of the length of the program, are graduates ready to embrace the freelance market for interpreters as soon as they graduate? Are they ready to face the inter-institutional accreditation test? In 2008, I accidentally came across two of my graduates in a Starbucks cafe by the university. I asked them what they were doing there. They simply replied: we are practising interpreting. Even though I admired their commitment, I felt horrified they were so close to the university but the doors were closed. What was I doing to contribute to their professional development, their practice? This is how I invited them to university to chat and see what I could do for them. They needed a room, or even better, access to the interpreting suite, a time to meet, speeches and hopefully someone to give them some feedback. This is how the Ambassadors'Scheme for Interpreting Studies was born. What does it entail: when a student graduates, he/she is invited to join the scheme, face to face or remotely. They become Ambassadors for Interpreting Studies. The Scheme offers ambassadors access to all our interpreting facilities to practise; they can attend mock conferences and language specific tutorials on the MACI; they are invited to all T and I activities for free. They can also access a course called Advanced Conference Interpreting for a reduced fee (this used to be free). In exchange, they give us 20 hours of their time per year to support new students on the MACI. It could be having a coffee with a student who is having a bad day and discussing their experience. It could be delivering a speech for a mock conference. It could be organising a workshop on note taking for students. It could be language specific support, skills support, emotional support... the list is endless. Our latest initiative was a one week training course in conference interpreting and yoga (French/English). This collaborative approach has been a win-win for ambassadors, new students and staff. Ambassadors feel supported by staff, they ask questions, discuss interpreting assignments, develop their confidence. They have a home where they feel supported to transit between the students identity and the full professional identity. Students benefit from the experience of ambassadors who are a year ahead of them. They ask questions they would not ask staff. They practise interpreting with someone who has experienced the pitfalls of conference interpreting training. For staff, we feel our ambassadors offer an insight on how well our students are doing. We understand how well ambassadors are doing to integrate the interpreting market, continue developing their interpreting skills, earn a living, survive in a professional world that is not always welcoming. It helps us adapt the curriculum to the current reality of new professional interpreters. So far, the scheme has been for London Met graduates only, but we started opening it up to graduates from other universities. This year, external graduates will officially be able to apply. I have also asked other universities to welcome some of our graduates who wanted to improve a new language skills, on the same basis (contribute/gain). This has worked very well but it is accidental, not a systematic opportunity. So far, the scheme has been a success. But it has also experienced some lows. We are trying to identify the best formats possible for ambassadors to make progress in their skills. This is just an example. But let's imagine a network of universities with graduates schemes that would help graduates integrate the interpreting profession (the international market and the private market) in a supported context. I suspect other schemes and initiatives from universities would be useful in bridging the gap between the end of courses and the beginning of the professional life. Looking forward to your thoughts and experience.