Delivering new and emerging community languages

People who speak in-demand, new and emerging community languages can receive scholarships to become qualified practicing interpreters.

The NSW Interpreter Scholarship Program is a partnership with tertiary educational providers such as TAFE NSW and universities, delivered in a hybrid learning model through in-person and online programs.

We target hard-to-service languages to ensure that our multicultural communities are connected and have access to information.

For our last intake, people who spoke Afrikaans, Amharic, Bislama, Cook Islands Māori, Creole, Dari, Dinka, Ewe, Fijian, Hazaragi, Kannada, Karen, Karenni, Khmer, Kinyamulenge, Kirundi, Konyanka Maninka [Mandingo], Krio, Kurdish-Kurmanji, Lingala, Mongolian, Ndebele, Shona, Somali, Swahili, Tamil, Telugu, Tetum and Tigrinya were invited to apply.

Availability

The availability of qualified interpreters in NSW is vital to ensure that people who do not have a strong understanding of the English language are able to access important government services and programs.

Multicultural NSW identified a shortage of interpreters in several languages in 2019. A new program offering scholarships for students to become interpreters, has seen more than 400 recipients of the scholarship program.

Emerging community languages to be included in the program are considered on an on-going basis by Multicultural NSW.

Language Career Advisory

Our Career Advisor provides career information and vocational advice on pathways into the language industry for high school and tertiary students.

Information and contact

For more information, download our program flyer and FAQs.

If you have any questions about the NSW Interpreter Scholarship Program, please contact us.