ARLINGTON, Va. — February 19, 2013 – Rosetta Stone Inc. (NYSE:RST), a leading provider of technology-based language-learning solutions, today announced a new agreement with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that means thousands of 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 over 20 languages. The Rosetta Stone partnership marks the first time language training has been offered through IATA’s world-class 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 airports, supply companies, cargo handlers, security personnel and travel agents—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, and we’re delighted that IATA—which represents airlines all over the world—has chosen Rosetta Stone as its go-to language-learning solution.”
The ITDI client base is drawn from the employees of over 240 member airlines, 75,000 IATA-certified travel agents, and a pool of more than 20,000 college students who aspire to work in the aviation industry. 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—a notable achievement in terms of professional development.
“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. The 20-year-old language-learning company has become a critical corporate partner to training and development organizations throughout the travel and transportation markets.
About Rosetta Stone Inc.
Rosetta Stone Inc. provides cutting-edge interactive technology that is changing the way the world learns languages. The company’s proprietary learning techniques—acclaimed for their power to unlock the natural language-learning ability in everyone—are used by schools, businesses, government organizations and millions of individuals around the world. Rosetta Stone offers courses in 30 languages, from the most commonly spoken (like English, Spanish and Mandarin) to the less prominent (including Swahili, Swedish and Tagalog). The company was founded in 1992 on the core beliefs that learning to speak a language should be a natural and instinctive process, and that interactive technology can activate the language immersion method powerfully for learners of any age. Rosetta Stone is based in Arlington, VA., and has offices in Harrisonburg, VA, Boulder, CO, Tokyo, Seoul, London, and Sao Paulo.
For more information, visit RosettaStone.com/PRO.
"Rosetta Stone" and “TOTALe” are trademarks of Rosetta Stone Ltd., registered and/or used in the United States and other countries.
About International Air Transportation Association
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is the trade association for the world’s airlines, representing some 240 airlines or 84% of total air traffic.
