Latest news with #DonaLewis
South Wales Argus
3 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Record number of people learning Welsh, new figures show
New figures show that 18,330 individuals completed Learn Welsh courses in 2023-24, the highest number ever recorded and a 45 per cent increase since the National Centre for Learning Welsh took responsibility for the sector in 2016. Dona Lewis, chief executive of the National Centre for Learning Welsh, said: "The significant increase in the number of learners reflects the strength of our learning model and our ability to plan strategically to support the Welsh Government's ambition to increase the use of the Welsh language. "We are extremely proud of all our learners, tutors, support staff and our partners throughout Wales, and are grateful to the Welsh Government for its continued support. "The Welsh language belongs to everyone and as we prepare to transfer our work to the National Institute for Learning Welsh in 2027, we look forward to the next stage of our development as a sector, with a clear focus on ensuring lifelong learning opportunities to support more people of all ages and backgrounds to learn, use and enjoy the Welsh language." The centre's annual report for 2024–25, launched at the Eisteddfod, credits this growth to detailed linguistic planning. In addition to offering around 1,500 Welsh courses for adults in the community and online, the centre leads the national Learn Welsh strategy, which aims to improve access to the language, attract new audiences, and normalise the use of Welsh. The centre also supports workplace learning through its Work Welsh scheme. More than 2,000 employers and 30,000 employees have taken part in the scheme. This includes partnerships with organisations such as North Wales Police, Airbus, the Football Association of Wales, the Welsh Rugby Union, and Wrexham AFC.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Number of people learning Welsh hits record high
The number of people learning Welsh has reached a record high. New figures show that 18,330 individuals completed Learn Welsh courses in 2023-24, the highest number ever recorded and a 45 per cent increase since the National Centre for Learning Welsh took responsibility for the sector in 2016. Dona Lewis, chief executive of the National Centre for Learning Welsh, said: "The significant increase in the number of learners reflects the strength of our learning model and our ability to plan strategically to support the Welsh Government's ambition to increase the use of the Welsh language. "We are extremely proud of all our learners, tutors, support staff and our partners throughout Wales, and are grateful to the Welsh Government for its continued support. "The Welsh language belongs to everyone and as we prepare to transfer our work to the National Institute for Learning Welsh in 2027, we look forward to the next stage of our development as a sector, with a clear focus on ensuring lifelong learning opportunities to support more people of all ages and backgrounds to learn, use and enjoy the Welsh language." The centre's annual report for 2024–25, launched at the Eisteddfod, credits this growth to detailed linguistic planning. In addition to offering around 1,500 Welsh courses for adults in the community and online, the centre leads the national Learn Welsh strategy, which aims to improve access to the language, attract new audiences, and normalise the use of Welsh. The centre also supports workplace learning through its Work Welsh scheme. More than 2,000 employers and 30,000 employees have taken part in the scheme. This includes partnerships with organisations such as North Wales Police, Airbus, the Football Association of Wales, the Welsh Rugby Union, and Wrexham AFC.
Cambrian News
5 days ago
- General
- Cambrian News
Aeron woman receives award for Welsh language contribution
Dona Lewis, Chief Executive of the National Centre for Learning Welsh, said: 'Barbara is clearly a highly-valued member of the Welsh-speaking community in the Aberaeron area, with everyone saying how generous and helpful she is in so many areas. Barbara is passionate about the language and extends a warm welcome to both Welsh learners and speakers, encouraging them to enjoy the many fun and engaging activities she organises.
South Wales Argus
08-07-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Welsh language conference to take place in Cardiff
The conference, taking place in Cardiff on July 8, is focused on promoting the Welsh language in the workplace and is jointly organised by the Welsh language commissioner and the National Centre for Learning Welsh. Osian Llywelyn, deputy Welsh language commissioner, said: "In our five-year strategic plan we have identified the development of the Welsh language in the workplace as one of our three priority areas. "We see this as an area that could make a significant difference to the usage of the Welsh language and make it a natural language for day-to-day use in organisations across Wales. "As we look ahead to the coming years, it is more important than ever that organisations put the Welsh language at the heart of their plans." The event, held at Cardiff City Stadium, will feature speakers from across the public and private sectors. Dona Lewis, chief executive of the National Centre for Learning Welsh, said: "The centre specialises in language learning and acquisition, and has seen huge growth in the numbers of people learning Welsh. "One of the centre's strategic priorities is to support employers to increase the use of Welsh, and it does this through its Work Welsh/Cymraeg Gwaith programme, which was established in 2018." Manon Humphreys of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, one of the speakers at the event, said she 'very much welcomed the opportunity to contribute' and hoped it would lead to 'new partnerships or opportunities.'
Business News Wales
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Conference to Focus on Use of Welsh Language in the Workplace
A conference in Cardiff is set to include more than 200 representatives of organisations operating in Wales gathering to discuss how to develop and improve the use of the Welsh language in the workplace. The event, which has been jointly organised by the Welsh Language Commissioner and the National Centre for Learning Welsh, aims to share good practice and promote new ways of working that put the Welsh language at the heart of working life. According to Osian Llywelyn, Deputy Welsh Language Commissioner, there is a strong desire to have this discussion: 'In our five-year strategic plan we have identified the development of the Welsh language in the workplace as one of our three priority areas. We see this as an area that could make a significant difference to the usage of the Welsh language and make it a natural language for day-to-day use in organisations across Wales. 'As we look ahead to the coming years, it is more important than ever that organisations put the Welsh language at the heart of their plans. It is pleasing, therefore, to see the significant interest in this conference, and the willingness to work together in order to develop new plans for the future.' Dona Lewis, Chief Executive of the National Centre for Learning Welsh, said: 'The Centre specialises in language learning and acquisition, and has seen huge growth in the numbers of people learning Welsh. In 2023-24, it was announced that 18,330 people had completed its courses, an increase of 45% since the Centre was established in 2016. 'One of the Centre's strategic priorities is to support employers to increase the use of Welsh, and it does this through its 'Work Welsh/Cymraeg Gwaith' programme, which was established in 2018. This is one of the Centre's most successful programmes, and over 2,000 employers have benefited from the services offered. The programme meets the requirements of a range of sectors and workplaces, including Health and Care, and Sport. More recently, the Centre is leading on a national Learn Welsh programme for the Education Workforce. 'By working in partnership, we look forward to attracting even more people to the Welsh language and supporting them to use and enjoy the language in their work and everyday life.' The conference will be held at Cardiff City stadium and is expected to attract over 200 attendees. One of the contributors will be Manon Humphreys from Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales who will talk about how the Welsh language is at the core of their work: 'I very much welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important conference. It's good for us as organisations to be able to come together to learn lessons and identify new ideas about how to include and promote the Welsh language practically in our work settings. 'From my perspective I am looking forward to presenting our hope in terms of the Welsh language at Amgueddfa Cymru while at the same time hearing from others about their plans and hopefully it will lead to new partnerships or opportunities – which can only be beneficial for the Welsh language.'
