Rosetta Stone has announced a new agreement with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that means employees in the aviation industry will have the opportunity to learn a new language and develop their communication skills as part of a wide-ranging career development program administered by the IATA Training and Development Institute (ITDI).
The program gives ITDI students access to groundbreaking software solutions from Rosetta Stone, the global leader in language-learning technology for schools, businesses and individuals. The company’s TOTALe PRO solution—recently expanded to include mobile applications, live online tutoring with native speakers and group-based interactive learning games—is available in more than 20 languages. The Rosetta Stone partnership marks the first time language training has been offered through IATA’s training curriculum, which already features classroom and distance learning in aviation administration, security, tourism, safety and many other subjects.
This year, over three billion passengers will crisscross the world aboard flights served by 8.4 million aviation industry workers. IATA represents member airlines and interacts with people at every touch-point of the aviation supply chain. Given the aviation industry’s global breadth, multilingualism has become a key area for employee development, compliance and competitiveness.
“If ever there was a truly global industry, aviation is it,” said Judy Verses, president, Global Institutions at Rosetta Stone. “Being able to communicate across borders and cultures is a vital skill for global organizations.”
The ITDI client base is drawn from the employees of 240 member airlines. Participants who successfully complete Level 3 and Level 5 of Rosetta Stone TOTALe PRO as part of ITDI’s curriculum will earn certificates reflecting their language proficiency.
“Airlines and supply companies serving the global aviation industry may operate in dozens of different countries,” said Ismail Albaidhani, head of Global Partnership & Learning Innovation and interim head, ITDI. “Language and communications skills are critical. This partnership with Rosetta Stone will enable us to better serve the education and training needs of the industry.”
While Rosetta Stone counts many international airlines and airports among its customers, the agreement with IATA marks the company’s broadest foray yet into the aviation industry.