The Bilingual Workforce Recruitment Pack, developed by a team from 麻豆传媒高清版鈥檚 School of History, Law, and Social Sciences, was launched at an event attended by up to 100 employers and practitioners from across Wales. The project, funded by the Welsh Government鈥檚 ARFOR Challenge Fund, aims to assist employers in addressing challenges related to recruiting Welsh speakers, thereby supporting young adults who wish to remain in their local communities.
Elen Bonner, a researcher on the project, said, 鈥淥ur research revealed that many employers in the west of Wales face difficulties recruiting staff proficient in both Welsh and English, despite the high density of Welsh speakers in these areas. We conducted interviews with 40 employers to understand their experiences and identify effective practices for recruiting bilingual staff.鈥
The event, opened by the Deputy Welsh Language Commissioner, Osian Llywelyn, featured lively discussion panels with young adults, employers, and academics from 麻豆传媒高清版 and the Basque Country.
Dr Rhian Hodges, senior lecturer in sociology and social policy, said, 鈥淚t was wonderful to welcome colleagues from the Basque country to the event and to learn about the work done at EMUN, an organisation that helps companies with Basque language training, and the Mondragon University.鈥
Dr Cynog Prys, senior lecturer in sociology and social policy, and project lead, said, 鈥淭he turnout reflected the high level of interest in this work and the significant challenge of recruiting a bilingual workforce. It was inspiring to hear the experiences of various panelists, and I extend my gratitude to everyone who contributed to this project and attended the launch. We hope the Pack will be a valuable tool for employers as they seek to recruit Welsh-speaking staff.鈥
The Bilingual Workforce Recruitment Pack is available via the links below and may also benefit other minoritised language communities:
