Historically, not every interpreter has had the same opportunity to become professionally qualified.For many years, if you worked in one of the UK’s more widely spoken languages, there was usually a recognised pathway to qualification.
But if you interpreted in a rarer language, the journey often looked very different.
You could spend years supporting your community in hospitals, police stations, courts, schools or local authorities, yet still struggle to find a recognised qualification in your language combination.
The challenge wasn’t your ability. It was access to an exam.
Professional qualifications are more than certificates. They open doors to agency work, joining professional registers and career progression. They provide reassurance to employers and public services that an interpreter has met recognised professional standards.
Yet for many interpreters, that opportunity simply wasn’t available until recently. Not because they lacked the knowledge or experience, but because no qualification pathway existed in their language.
Why DPSI Online Chose a Different Approach
When our founder, Helena, identified this gap, she saw talented interpreters being held back for one reason alone: the language they spoke.
So rather than limiting qualifications to a small number of language combinations, DPSI Online began delivering interpreting training and examinations online, making it possible to support far more languages, including many that had previously been overlooked.
Today, DPSI Online offers Level 3 Community Interpreting training in over 60 language combinations, alongside DPSI Law training and exams in over 45 language combinations, with additional languages available on demand.
Not because it’s the simplest way to operate, but because we believe access to professional qualifications shouldn’t depend on the language someone speaks.
Every new language combination we introduce means another interpreter has the opportunity to gain a recognised professional qualification.
Another skilled professional whose experience can be formally recognised.
Another community with access to qualified language support.
Another opportunity for someone to build a career doing work that truly matters.
Whether your language is Spanish, Polish or Arabic, or one that has traditionally had very limited qualification opportunities such as Uzbek, Bambara, Soninkeh or Sylheti, we believe you deserve the same opportunity to qualify.
Looking Forward
Our mission over the years has simply been to remove these barriers. To create opportunities where they didn’t previously exist, and to ensure that interpreters aren’t defined by the popularity of the language they speak, but by the professionalism they bring to their work.
Professional interpreting standards are consistent.
Access to professional qualifications should be too.
