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Article published In: Babel
Vol. 69:3 (2023) ► pp.305–332

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Do education and the labor market speak the same language?

Challenges of the ESCO European classification of occupations in mapping today’s professional translators

 | Universidad de Málaga
Published online: 25 July 2023
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https://doi.org/10.1075/babel.00325.agu
Abstract
This paper addresses the need for terminology convergence and the systematic use of up-to-date descriptors and concepts in the European higher education and labor market environments. Rapid developments in the language industry are remodelling the translation profession in particular and generating new processes, new training needs and, therefore, a new skills demand. Changing market expectations, cross-occupational mobility and multifaceted professional profiles in the translation industry claim to exploit the full potential of standard and multilingual taxonomies like ESCO – the European Classification of Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations. This research draws on the European Master’s in Translation (EMT) competence framework for 2018–2024 to perform a descriptive analysis of the English and Spanish entries for the occupation of “translator” in ESCO’s latest 2020 version. Findings suggest that ESCO’s content could be aligned with the professionally oriented EMT framework to overcome shortcomings in representing translators’ identity and present the reality of the translation market, while matching its content more accurately to the most relevant skills and competences generally developed in current translator training programs.
Résumé
Cet article traite de la nécessité d’une convergence terminologique et de l’utilisation systématique de descripteurs et de concepts récents dans les environnements de l’enseignement supérieur et du marché du travail en Europe. L’évolution rapide de l’industrie des langues transforme la profession de traducteur et génère de nouveaux processus, de nouveaux besoins de formation et, par conséquent, une nouvelle demande de compétences. L’évolution des attentes du marché, la mobilité interprofessionnelle et les profils professionnels à multiples facettes dans l’industrie de la traduction exigent d’exploiter tout le potentiel des taxonomies standard et multilingues telles que la classification européenne des aptitudes, des compétences, des qualifications et des professions (ESCO). Cette recherche s’appuie sur le cadre de compétences du Master européen en traduction (EMT) pour 2018–2024 afin de réaliser une analyse descriptive des entrées anglaises et espagnoles pour la profession de “traducteur” dans la dernière version de l’ESCO datant de 2020. Les résultats suggèrent que le contenu de l’ESCO pourrait être aligné sur le cadre de l’EMT qui est plus orienté vers le milieu professionnel afin de remédier à des lacunes dans la représentation de l’identité des traducteurs et de représenter la réalité du marché de la traduction, tout en faisant correspondre plus précisément ses contenus aux aptitudes et compétences les plus pertinentes généralement développées dans les programmes actuels de formation des traducteurs.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Employability and competences in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)
  • 3.An approach to employability in Translation Studies
  • 4.European Master’s in Translation (EMT) competence framework
  • 5.Towards a common language: ESCO classification
    • 5.1Methodology for the analysis of the “translator” occupation
  • 6.Analysis of results in ESCO
    • 6.1Description of the “translator” profession
    • 6.2Alternative labels
    • 6.3Position in the hierarchical structure for “translator”
    • 6.4Narrower occupations
    • 6.5Essential skills, competences, and knowledge
    • 6.6Optional skills, competences and knowledge
  • 7.Conclusions and further discussion
  • Notes
  • References
References (80)
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