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Lights, camera, action as Hefin stars in Careers Wales campaign16th Jan 2023
Jones Bros contracts director Hefin Lloyd-Davies has appeared front and centre of a Careers Wales campaign to promote the benefit of Welsh language in business.
Careers Wales, a subsidiary of Welsh Government, promotes independent and impartial information, advice, and guidance.
The company’s current campaign focuses on the value and advantages of Welsh language and bilingual skills in support of Cymraeg 2050, which aims to have one million speakers by that year.
Careers Wales has highlighted three key focus areas:
- Get: People who currently don’t understand the professional value of Welsh
- To: Learn Welsh or use their existing Welsh skills to help them
- By: Showing them how it can enhance their careers
The Ruthin-headquartered civil engineering firm was contacted by Careers Wales after it discovered the Welsh language policy at Jones Bros, and the value it placed on liaising with the local community in its native tongue.
Hefin was interviewed at tidal energy project Morlais in Anglesey in both Welsh and English as part of the campaign, which also included a bilingual written feature.
He said: “It was wonderful to showcase the Welsh language at a site where it is so prominently spoken.
“On a project such as Morlais, a number of the staff will converse with each other in Welsh as well as with the local community and residents.
“It sounds so simple, but to be able to explain what we are doing, how long we intend to take, and the impact it will have, in Welsh, really resonates with people.”
With high levels of interest in the campaign, Hefin also appeared on BBC Radio Cymru’s Dros Frecwast show.
Speaking to presenter Dylan Ebenezer, Hefin reaffirmed his belief that the Welsh language is crucial to businesses operating in the country.
He added: “The ability to speak Welsh is a beneficial professional skill to have, and those who can communicate in the language have an advantage in terms of day-to-day operations.
“Some of those new to the company do not instantly recognise the importance of being able to speak two languages, but it is a talent that should be championed at every opportunity.
“There are staff that haven’t spoken Welsh since leaving school, who quickly pick it back up and start using it in everyday life.”
Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros owns one of the largest plant fleets in the UK and employs approximately 500 people.
The company is currently working on contracts in various sectors including highways, flood and marine defence, waste management and renewable energy around the UK.
The company runs an award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which has produced nearly 50 per cent of its current workforce, with many of its senior managers having started out as apprentices or in a trainee role. It has recruited more than 100 apprentices during the past three years.