What is the ITI?
At Surrey Translation Bureau (STB), we are a long-standing corporate member of the ITI, a UK-based membership organisation that is the ‘professional home for practising translators, interpreters and all those involved in supplying language services’. The ITI has a public directory that lists all of its members, which allows both public and corporate entities to find a professional translator, interpreter or LSP.
As a member of the ITI, STB agrees to abide by its Code of Professional Conduct. STB’s corporate member status also demonstrates our ongoing commitment to professional development, as the ITI offers training and networking opportunities that allow us to stay abreast of the latest developments in translation and the specialised fields we translate in.
Standing apart from the crowd
STB has been named as the ITI’s ‘Corporate Member of the Year’ twice in recognition of our high-quality, personalised service to clients and freelancers, rigorous company evaluation process, expanding our post-editing of machine translation, subtitling and DTP services, and positive feedback from suppliers. This is yet another way that STB sets itself apart from other LSPs in the sector.
We have taken our ITI membership one step further by becoming one of the first LSPs to gain ‘accredited language service provider’ status. This category of membership is only available to companies that demonstrate an ongoing contribution and commitment to the industry and to ITI, and we are reaccredited every three years. In 2020, our Head of Operations Hannah Stacey became the first member of the ITI’s Board of Directors from STB, and in 2023 Head of Project Management Amey Higgon took up the mantle after being elected. Amey is the Corporate Representative on the Board, acting as the voice for other language service providers and corporate members of the ITI. For our clients, this long-standing association with the ITI reflects our commitment to being industry champions and constantly maintaining the highest standards.
Knowledge sharing with the industry experts
STB’s connection with the ITI is not only beneficial for our clients – our in-house team reap the rewards of our membership too. With regular training sessions and opportunities for continuing professional development, our team of in-house translators and project managers regularly boost their skills across a range of areas, from clear writing in English, to medical translation, to what translators can do about climate change. All of this contributes to the work we produce for our clients, who can rest assured that their projects are in the hands of linguistic and project management teams that not only have the necessary expertise to offer high-quality translations, but also look at the bigger picture and often have more sustainable operations.
Giving back to the linguistic community
At STB we believe in paying it forward and sharing the expertise we’ve gained over the years, offering our clients a wealth of linguistic knowledge with the freelance community. As such, our Head of Operations Hannah Stacey advises on ongoing professional development opportunities as part of the ITI’s Conference Committee. This also helps keep our finger on the pulse for trends in the industry and ensure that our freelancers continue to invest in their own growth, in turn offering our clients the very best quality services.
Building connections
Another bonus of ITI membership for Team STB is the opportunity to attend the conferences organised by the Institute. STB’s Nicola Callow and Chloe Jones recently presented at the ITI One Day in Harpenden event, and the ITI Conference, which takes place every two years, is another fantastic way to connect with fellow language professionals, share knowledge and build relationships with our pool of freelance translators. Conferences and other events held by the ITI are one of the ways that we source qualified linguists in the various fields our clients work in.
Are you looking for a professional translation company to trust your content with? You’re in safe hands with STB. Get in touch with us to discuss how we can support your needs at hello@surreytranslation.co.uk or call 01252 730014.
Written by Amey Higgon
