Submit an expression of interest to stay up to date with course registration details.
Please note: 2M is currently not accepting phone calls regarding the Interpreter Training Boost Program. If you have a question, please refer to the FAQ on this page or email interpreterboost@2m.com.au.
The Queensland Multicultural Policy 'Our story, our future' makes a firm commitment that the Queensland Government will increase its efforts in implementing the Queensland Language Services Policy and improving access to interpreters and multilingual resources.
The Interpreter Training Boost (ITB) program has been established to provide new job opportunities for Queensland interpreters in priority languages and better communication outcomes for multicultural communities.
The Queensland Government is funding the ITB program from 2021-22 through to 2023-24.
The ITB program seeks to:
The Interpreting Skills course, which is endorsed by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) is structured as follows:
The scholarship will cover the cost of the course, except for a student contribution of $100 to be paid at enrolment.
Submit an expression of interest to stay up to date with course registration details.
If you have specific questions about the course, please send an enquiry via email: interpreterboost@2m.com.au
The ITB will cover languages in-demand in Queensland, that is, languages identified by the QLD Government as urgently needing more interpreters, such as:
Afar, Amharic, Anuak, Assyrian, Blen, Burmese, Chin languages, Dari, Dinka, Farsi, Hmong, Karen/Karenni, Kinyarwanda/Rwanda, Kiribati, Kirundi/ Nyarwandwa/Rundi, Kiswahili, Kurdish languages (including Kurdish Kurmanji), Kunama, Nepali, Oromo, Pashto, Rohingya, Samoan, Sango, Solomon Pijin, Somali, Sudanese Arabic, Swahili, Tamil, Thai, Tigre, Tigrinya/Tigrinian, Tok Pisin, Tongan, Tuvaluan, and Ukrainian or any other language from New and Emerging Communities which are in demand in Qld.
Applicants must:
Please note: people on 500-590 Student visas are not eligible to do this course
Due to limited numbers and competing languages, we cannot guarantee you will be accepted into the ITB Program even if you qualify for all the eligibility criteria. Selection will be subject to the identified language demand and applicant pool.
You can lodge your expression of interest any time. You will receive a link shortly after submitting your Expression of Interest if you speak a language in demand.
Applications will close on 22 March 2024 for the course starting in July 2024.
To be invited to do the ITB, applicants must follow these steps:
2M Language Services is partnering with TAFE SA for this project. Being a QLD-based company, 2M is in charge of recruiting potential applicants, providing local support and providing a work experience/observership for all course participants who successfully complete the course.
Once TAFE SA receives all your information the following will happen:
Once you have been invited to enrol, you will need to follow this process:
You may be required to do some reading and activities online before starting the course.
The ITB course will cover PSPSS00063 - Introduction to Interpreting Skill Set which includes the following 4 Nationally accredited units:
The course is split into four main areas:
The final ITB course will start:
July 2024
Professional Placement with 2M will start:
September 2024
NAATI workshop:
Oct/Nov 2024
The course is 12 weeks (60 hours) delivered over 13 weeks (there is a break of 1 week during the course)
The 12-week (60 hours) program will be delivered online with some face-to-face sessions and will be split as follows:
Students must demonstrate competence in all units through assessment. There are 6 assessments in the course. Assessments will include quizzes, activities and interpreting role-plays (both face to face and online).
Before you are accepted to do the ITB, you will have to:
Evidence of English proficiency:
Visit this link:
(refer to 'What evidence do I need to apply for certification'?)
Visit this link:
(refer to 'What evidence do I need to apply for certification'?)
If you do not have the above evidence you will be required to sit for a free online English proficiency test (Versant English Placement test) before enrolling into the course. The test will take 1 hour.
The Versant English Placement Test is an English proficiency test which measures the listening, speaking, reading and writing proficiency of candidates whose native language is not English. For more information click here.
For entry to the ITB, the only scores which will be looked at are the speaking and listening scores. The test is free for applicants.
To be accepted directly into the ITB course you will need to obtain an average Versant score of 60 in speaking and listening.
People who obtain a score of between 50 and 59 will be eligible to complete an English Bridging course (see English Bridging course)
The Queensland Government scholarship will cover the cost of the course, except for a student contribution of $100 to be paid at enrolment.
The Queensland Government scholarship will cover the cost of the course, except for a student contribution of $100 to be paid at enrolment.
The Versant English Placement test is free of charge to applicants.
The Queensland Government scholarship covers the cost of a NAATI test or a NAATI recognition application cost for students who are recommended by TAFE SA at the end of the course.
You don't need to. All study material is provided.
No, the ITB is not a language specific course. Students will be paired with other students who speak the same language, where possible, for language specific discussions and practical activities. Where possible, students will be given an opportunity to do a mock interpreting dialogue test and receive feedback on their performance in their Language other than English (LOTE) and their interpreting skills.
Whilst every effort will be made to have at least 2 people of the same language, this cannot be guaranteed and there may be cases where a student is the only person speaking that language. In this case, they will still be able to participate in practical interpreting activities.
No. This is course specifically funded for QLD students. If you are from another state you will need to complete the ISNC course: TAFE SA ISNC course
No. In order to be eligible to sit for translation you will need to complete this course and then study an additional unit (Read and analyse special purpose English texts to be translated-PSPTIS064) which you can complete online, but which is not funded by this program. TAFE SA TSNC. You do not need to complete the whole TSNC course, just one unit which will cost approximately $512.
No, you will need to sit the NAATI test or apply for recognition (in languages that are not tested) to become certified.
It depends on your bilingual competency, interpreting skills and contextual knowledge at the time when you sit for the test. The ITB course will include an intensive NAATI test preparation workshop delivered by NAATI.
If your visa conditions allow you to study and work, you are most welcome. Applicants with Student 500-590 visas are the only ones not permitted to enrol.
Then this course is not for you. You should attempt the CCL (Credentialed Community Language) test instead. Please see: CCL testing
No, if you wish to gain Migration points and sit the CCL (Credentialed Community Language) test, this course is neither required nor suitable for you.
Please see: CCL Tests
No, if this is your situation you will need to apply for a later course. Attendance to the online and face to face sessions is compulsory. If you do not attend you will be marked as ‘withdrawn’ and will have to re-enrol again for the units you have not completed.
This is a blended course. You will have to attend virtual online sessions at least once a week. You can attend these sessions from anywhere providing you have reasonable internet connection. There will also be at least one face to face session in Queensland in a region near you.
Please email the contact interpreterboost@2m.com.au
2M Language Services will reply to you, acknowledging your expression of interest, within a week of receiving it.
Yes, the virtual online session times will be published before enrolment.
There will not be another enrolment date. The ITB course starting in July 2024 will be the final cycle of the ITB program.
No. Courses start at a particular time (see course dates).
There will be a poll before the course starts where you can nominate a preferred time (from the times offered). Whilst every effort will be made to meet your preference, we cannot guarantee it.
You must attend the synchronous sessions assigned to you (i.e. online sessions delivered in real-time) at the scheduled time (3 hours per week). You can study at your own pace in relation to the non-synchronous parts of the course as long as you keep up with the weekly schedule. The course is planned week by week and you will need to progress week by week and hand in your assessments when they are due.
Yes, as long as you have a reliable internet connection to log into class and do your online work. However, you will need to be in the country near the end of the course to attend the face-to-face workshops.
The Certified Provisional Interpreter is the entry level of certification for interpreters. To become a Certified Provisional Interpreter, you will need to sit a test with NAATI.
NAATI is not able to test all languages, and does not offer testing in low demand languages and languages of new and emerging communities. Candidates who speak languages not currently tested by NAATI at the Certified Provisional Interpreter level will be eligible for apply for a Recognised Practising credential instead: NAATI Recognised Practising Interpreter.
Yes, you will be able to sit directly for the Certified Provisional Interpreter test after completing the ITB course. The training includes Ethics and Intercultural competencies, so you will not have to sit for NAATI Intercultural or Ethics competence screening tests. If your language is not tested, you will be eligible for apply for a Recognised Practising Interpreter credential: NAATI Recognised Practising Interpreter.
NAATI will announce updates when they become available. To check the test date for your language, visit https://www.naati.com.au/ and go to ‘Find A Test Date’.
Yes, if NAATI tests in your language and providing you have applied to NAATI after completing your course.
For those recommended by TAFE SA to sit the NAATI test or apply for recognition at the end of the course, the cost of the NAATI test or the NAATI recognition application will be covered by the ITB.
You should contact NAATI to enquire or visit the link NAATI Certification Pathways
You will need to contact NAATI, but in the majority of cases you will have to do the ITB and sit for a NAATI test.
Visit the link: NAATI Certification Pathways (scroll to 'Certified Interpreter')
After successfully completing the ITB course, you will be eligible to sit the NAATI Certified Provisional Interpreter test or apply for a NAATI Recognised Practising Interpreter credential.
For information on the Recognised Practising credentials, follow this link: NAATI Recognised Practising Interpreter.
The Certified Provisional Interpreter credential is the entry level of certification. There are areas in the interpreting and translating industry which would require higher certification levels.
You should contact NAATI to enquire and check the requirements.
If you complete this course, you will be eligible to sit the relevant NAATI test. You should contact NAATI to check your requirements.