Agenda item
This report is submitted in order to provide a background to Committee members about the existing work and priorities of the initiative.
Minutes:
In response to a
request, the Chair presented an update on Hunaniaith's
work, outlining the successes, lessons learnt; he also took the opportunity to
raise Members' awareness of this work.
Overview of 2018-19
work
It was reported that 2018-19 had been a good
year in terms of developing key partnerships, such as Cymraeg
for Kids, and Llandrillo Menai Group, and that it
appeared that investing time to jointly plan and collaborate was paying
dividends.
Additionally, it was noted that collaboration
across the Language Initiatives as a whole had also developed further, with
Welsh Language Initiatives (the umbrella organisation that supported the work
of the initiatives across Wales) leading on many national projects. There would also be opportunities for further
collaboration between the North Wales region language initiatives in future.
Two presentations were made by the
Language Officers:
Early Years
It was explained
that seminars had been held to equip the early years
workforce and activity providers with the knowledge to enable them to convey
the message about the value of bilingualism to families. It was noted that the feedback from the
seminars had been extremely positive, and although it had not been possible to
attract some of the targeted businesses and organisations that provided family
activities, the officer felt that the events had been successful. Collaboration
would continue with Cymraeg for Kids and the
Council's Early Years Service on similar events in
future.
Targeting Young
People aged 15+:
A conference had
been held for young people to discuss the value of the Welsh language as a
skill for the workplace, and to introduce best practice and role models from
professional and occupational areas. The
conference's aim was to encourage young people to consider their career
choices, and to pay particular attention to the Welsh language as part of those
options.
The conference had
been arranged jointly with officers from Llandrillo
Menai Group, with specific focus on students from Llandrillo
Menai Group in the sectors of Construction, Hair and Beauty, and Hospitality
and Tourism. The feedback had been positive, and it was agreed that the content
of the sessions was beneficial and appropriate, although some changes were
needed, such as simplifying the terminology and including fewer open-ended
questions, in order to facilitate participation and discussion.
A series of
evaluation meetings were held following the events, and the officers agreed
that the conference had been a success in relation to arrangements and content,
although some refinements and minor changes would be needed if similar events
were held in future. One concern
expressed was the difficulties in attracting interest and the commitment of the
group's tutors.
Members expressed
their disappointment regarding this, and noted their desire to pursue it
further. The Gwynedd Language
Development Officer noted that she would write formally to Llandrillo
Menai Group to share the feedback on the conference evaluation to share the
concerns.
A committee member
expressed a willingness to write a letter on behalf of the committee to Llandrillo Menai Group.
The proposal was
accepted.
Members were given
an opportunity to raise general questions about Hunaniaith's
work, and Members asked how Hunaniaith chose the
areas to target. In response, it was
noted that the areas that had received attention over the last three years had
been largely chosen on the basis of the Census data and Welsh Government's
recommendations. It was noted that other
data sources needed to be examined, such as the Language Charter, in order to
determine future target areas.
Welsh in Business
Information was
presented by the Gwynedd Language Development on behalf of Paul Carrol Jones
(Welsh in Business).
Welsh in Business was one of the national projects run by
the Wales Language Initiatives.
The project's aim
was to:
•
Offer support and advice to businesses
on their use of the Welsh language.
•
A free service.
•
Principally tailored to small and medium sized,
and micro businesses.
It was explained that small businesses in Wales could
request support with communication, ordering goods, developing websites and
social media through the medium of Welsh.
It was also noted that support was available with advertising and staff
recruitment, and the provision of free translation services.
RESOLVED:
Supporting documents: