Gaelic Scots say filte* to 1st dual language jobs site

ScottishJobs.com, which links employers and employees by listing job opportunities online, has today announced the launch of Scotlandís first ever dual language Gaelic and English recruitment website.

As of today, Scotlandís leading independent jobs website is now uniquely able to cater to the employment needs of over 80,000 Gaelic speaking Scots and the employers who continue to use our ësecond languageí in everyday life.

The launch by ScottishJobs.com, which recently led one of Scotlandís largest ever voluntary sector initiatives with the Special Olympics Summer Games, follows a burgeoning revival of the Gaelic language in Scotland which only began to gather pace throughout the 1980ís and 1990ís.

However, it was not until September 2004 that the long-awaited Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill lodged at the Scottish Parliament gave Gaelic official recognition as a language of Scotland and prepared national Gaelic language plan.

ScottishJobs.comís launch announcement follows a long line of work place inclusivity programmes and innovative recruitment sector initiatives by the Glasgow-headquartered company, including close working ties with the Commission for Racial Equality and becoming the first Scottish recruitment site to provide employment assistance online for the visually impaired,

Speaking about the new look website and its Gaelic functionality is ScottishJobs.comís managing director Pat Kelly who says: ìScottishJobs.com is all about inclusivity in the workplace and the Internet is instrumental in helping us to communicate that message to every area of Scotland. Providing access to Gaelic-speaking jobseekers and employers is part of that programme and helps to support not only the re-emergence of the language in the commercial arena, but increases links between those looking for better employment and those companies and organisations that can offer it.î

Gaelic, which has been spoken in Scotland since 500AD, is now fully functional at ScottishJobs.com and available for the over 80,000 potential jobseekers and employers who maintain the rich cultural heritage of Scotlandís indigenous language.

Once forbidden to be spoken under pain of deportation following the Battle of Culloden in April 1746 ñ as was playing the bagpipe and wearing the kilt ñ Gaelic has managed to survive and thrive throughout oral and written tradition.

Support for Scotlandís ësecond languageí has included the appointment of a Gaelic Officer to the Scottish Parliament in 2000 and the more recent announcement of a new Gaelic secondary school to be opened in Glasgow in 2006.