Madison Interpreters' Collective
Launched as a service unit of the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice
(ICWJ), the Madison Interpreters' Collective (MIC) is a not-for-profit
translation service for business, community, academic, and government meetings
and events.
As demand for volunteer interpreters for community events grew in the ICWJ, the
idea for the MIC was born. Eventually, the ICWJ had enough demand that it
purchased simultaneous translation equipment, and the organization formalized
its translation services. ICWJ acts as a request clearinghouse for the MIC.
MIC now employs 12 part-time translators primarily for Spanish language
translation (Hmong interpreters are also available), and a partnership with the
Madison School District can supply
translators for up to 30 languages, given enough lead time.
"One thing we've found," said Hickey, "is that a lot of businesses, especially
businesses just getting into hiring more non-English speaking staff, tend to
rely on a few key employees. That can put a lot of pressure on those employees.
Things can get missed, or the full story doesn't get across. If a company is
doing health and safety training, benefits, 401k information... it needs to make
sure the employees understand their choices. Quality interpretation is important
from a business perspective. You want employees to know what's going on, to know
your policies. It really has a positive, longterm impact on employee retention
and satisfaction."
Rates are on a sliding fee scale ($35 to $75/hour), and two translators are
required for events longer than one hour. Equipment rental is available for
$25/day, and specialized or technical translation can be accommodated with
advance notice.