Fiona Barclay

As the summer came to a close, another generation of school leavers and graduates took their first steps into the world of work. As recent Tes Scotland analysis showed, however, fewer than ever before left with language qualifications. There is a challenge, in a globalised world facing the climate crisis, to find opportunities for sustainable growth, while, despite Brexit, international trade remains crucial for Scottish businesses. But does the nation have the necessary skills?

The recent announcement that the University of Aberdeen has lifted the threat of compulsory redundancy from its languages staff and will continue to deliver joint degrees in languages was a rare moment of good news for the languages sector. But the focus on universities hides a much greater opportunity to secure a sustainable future for languages.

Fashioning themselves in the same vein as the gilets jaunes, France’s populist economic justice movement, the gilets noirs activists are highlighting the latest chapter in the country’s ongoing debate around immigration. A collective of undocumented migrants protesting injustices against their number, the gilet noirs have staged three high-profile occupations this year.