A very interesting interview was published in this past spring's issue of Innovations Magazine by Educational Testing Service (ETS). In it, Carlos Lenck, Director of Human Capital at the Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) branch in Chile, clearly explains the value of English in a global context. 

PwC strategy in combining company support with employee investment in learning is also worth taking a look at as a potential model.The company is quite generous in their financial contribution but even employers with smaller human resource development budgets could put similar support into place on a reduced scale.

It surprised me initially to learn that so many airlines use TOEIC tests. While it makes sense, given the tests' focus on everyday, workplace English that is international rather than specific to any given country, aviation-industry-specific tests do exist, including those created by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Two of several reasons why TOEIC tests are preferred are—

The Challenge: Placing incoming students quickly and accurately.