Any BSL Interpreters About?

[Careerchange1234]

Hi all,

Just looking for a bit of advice. Probably the wrong section but hoping I'll get more traffic here than in employment.

Since I was a teenager, I've always wanted to learn BSL. I've finally got around to it and have just finished my level 1. I LOVE it. It was always supposed to be something fun which helps me communicate with a couple of deaf people I know but I'm seriously considering continuing my studies and training to become an interpreter.

I know it's difficult, expensive, takes a long time etc, and I'm prepared for that side of it, but I'm struggling to find much information about work once you've actually qualified. Searching job ads doesn't help much but if anyone is able to answer some questions that would be fantastic.

1. Are most interpreters employed or freelance?
2. Do you have to do an awful lot of unpaid work in order to qualify?
3. What are the actual expected earnings?
4. If freelance, how do you find work?

I can't really afford to be doing lots of voluntary work (although 1 day a week would be fine), and likewise if I pursue this I'll need to make sure I don't go through all the time, effort and expense for a huge drop in salary compared to what I'm currently on.

TIA

Lots are free lance, the ones that are employed are usually not allowed to disclose their pay, it tends to be about £20 000.

Unpaid work, well it depends on your level of BSL, you need at least Level 2 to do anything and you are not qualified to interpret at that stage.

It might actually be cheaper to do the full time uni route. So 3-4 years full time. UCLAN, Bristol and Wolverhampton all have Deaf Studies and or interpreting courses, you are then expected to do a post graduate qualification.

www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/ba_hons_british_sign_language_and_deaf_studies.php

I had bad experiences at Wolves so I finished my degree at UCLAN. I know a few other people who also had problems with Wolves.

1. Are most interpreters employed or freelance?

most are freelance, some work in house in deaf organisations.

1. Do you have to do an awful lot of unpaid work in order to qualify?

No, and in fact lots of unpaid work as a trainee would be see to undercut fully qualified interpreters and is therefore frowned upon. You do need to have regular contact with the deaf community and learn the community as well as the language - which would obviously be unpaid. Some people work as communication support workers before fully training to be interpreters.

1. What are the actual expected earnings?

Depends on how much you work, if you do out of hours and choose to specialise in the long term etc. You can earn a decent amount - or very little if you work very little.

1. If freelance, how do you find work?

Most freelancers are signed up to multiple agencies who call and offer them work depending on their abilities/chosen areas of work (hospitals etc.) and locations.

PM me if you have more questions. I'm not an interpreter but know some interpreters and interpreter trainers so can help direct some questions. you can do full time degree as above or more vocational training - which works best will depend on your life set up at the moment and your ability to get immersed in the deaf world outside of your course.

Thanks for your input both, really appreciated.

I'm mid-30's with young DC and currently working FT so would have to follow the vocational route. I can afford the cost of the studying as long as I'm able to continue working as I do it.

£20,000 is £10k less than I'm on at the moment, so working as an employed interpreter would definitely be out. Would I have a chance to earn more than that freelance? And is there enough work available for people to work full time doing it?

I'm currently working in an unrelated field and for now I'm enjoying learning, but it would be utter madness to go through several years of learning and hard work to take a 1/3 pay cut at the end of it.

Hi op. I looked into it a while ago, i think once you have bsl level 3 you can enrol onto the intrrpreter course. I used to work at a collegr where we regulaly needed to book interpretors freelance, think they charged 30ph and travel.

I think to be sucessful in it youd need as much unpaid experiance visiting deaf clubs, volunteering that sought of thing.

Thanks Bella, sounds like I could make it work financially freelance. I'll have a look at some college websites and see if they have any further info about what they pay their interpreters.

You can do it at heriot watt in Edinburgh too. Don't think you need a post grad. I know someone who just went to classes and is level 6 so definitely possible. I work with the Deaf community at times and struggle to get interpreters and it is very expensive to hire them. I'm just starting to learn BSL and love it! I feel so rude not being able to communicate with the people I deal with so keen to get better. Hope you are able to follow this through.

I'm much further south than Edinburgh but at least good to know that there would be work available.

Thanks for your good wishes. I'm sure the people you work with would be pleased to hear you're willing to learn a bit of BSL in order to communicate with them.

I think once you have bsl level 3 you can enrol onto the intrrpreter course

You need level 6, not 3 for every course I’ve looked at. At level 3 you could apply for communication support worker jobs which are often pretty poorly paid but rewarding.

Considering the training and financial cost, interpreter jobs are pretty poorly paid. It could easily cost £4K before you even start interpreter training.

I’d enrol on a level 1 evening course and go from there. Even if you don’t end up changing career, it’s a great skill to have and really fun to learn.

Hi I am a sign language interpreter trainee. Fully qualified you could match your current salary at least, but would it be worth the time, expense and training to do so?

If freelance appeals for it's flexibility, the freelance rates quoted are correct and a minimum. You are effectively bank statement and pick and choose what you accept. The demand always exceeds the supply of interpreters. London there are full time salaried jobs for interpreters, but not everywhere, necessarily.
So yes I would say if you want the freelance life of picking and choosing when you work then it is maybe worth changing careers?

This is all really helpful, thanks.

I'm not bothered about earning mega bucks, but I hate what I'm doing now. If I can earn similar doing something I love, I'm happy, even if it means I'm spending a few years training to get there.

The information about working freelance is really helpful. DC are in school and the option to pick and choose when I want to work around childcare is appealing.

I've passed my level 1 already, and I think I'll be signing up to the level 2 class

Picking and choosing is really useful for things like sports day, etc., as I remember before I was an interpreter some parents were refused annual leave for it as it was a school I worked in.

That sounds absolutely perfect. Let's hope I manage to get through the next few levels and become qualified!

How much approximately is level 1?

Approx costs are lvl 1 £300
Lvl2 £600
Lvl3 £900
Etc
But check community colleges out for courses

Mine was slightly more expensive, £500 lvl 1, £600 lvl 2.

It will depend why you're learning though, courses that are Signature accredited cost more than ones that aren't. If you want to learn for personal use you won't necessarily need the qualification. I'm not sure of the quality of those ones though.

I’m a trainee interpreter too.