THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, June 19, 1995 TAG: 9506170245
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RUTH NORDSTROM
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Due to increased foreign trade opportunities, Hampton Roads needs more bilingual professionals.
Old Dominion University had good foreign language programs for those students who wanted jobs with American or foreign companies here and abroad.
But only a few months ago ODU canceled some advanced foreign language classes for economic reasons and lack of demand from students.
That was a mistake. Ron Tappen of Howmet Corp., a French-affiliated company in Hampton with nearly l,500 employees, said bilingual engineers have an advantage when communicating with foreign customers. ``But we do not have enough of them,'' he said.
Howmet has resorted to sending some engineers to a private Virginia Beach language school also used by Siemens Automotive, a German manufacturer in Newport News.
The lack of language skills drags on the region's economy and, for recent graduates, makes hiring more difficult.
Sharon Robertson, employment director at Hermes Abrasives, a German company in Virginia Beach that employs about 250 people, said bilingual applicants, especially for sales and marketing jobs, stand a better chance for employment than those without foreign language skills.
Doris Depler, a representative for Stihl, the German manufacturer of chain saws and power tools that employs 500 in Virginia Beach, said Stihl advertised for bilingual engineers, buyers and secretaries in newspapers throughout the United States. Too few engineers were available locally.
According to a U.S. State Department dean, many aspiring young diplomats embark upon their careers without thorough foreign language training and must take classes before beginning their overseas assignments. Because of the long training time, many foreign posts remain unattended until the officers have become proficient in the target language.
Yet, ODU reduced the number of classes in many language programs for budgetary reasons.
My husband, Ed Nordstrom, worked abroad during his career as an engineer. On assignment in Germany, his ability to speak German helped solve many pressing technical problems, because he was able to discuss work orders directly with German and Dutch engineers without translators, who can misinterpret technical terms.
American universities have always been the best in the world; to maintain that reputation, they must maintain advanced foreign language programs.
The initial expense of maintaining foreign language programs at ODU will be paid for many times. Successful business deals will provide Hampton Roads with new contracts and more jobs for our graduates, ensuring an increase in tax revenues. MEMO: Ruth Nordstrom of Virginia Beach taught English last year at Old
Dominion University.
by CNB