Cardiff council worker wins national award

Posted by Now Cardiff on Jan 29, 2013

A Cardiff Council employee who helped to establish a scheme in Cardiff to keep vulnerable children and young people safe has won a national award for her efforts.

Sarah-Jane Bailey, a team manager in the Council’s Youth Offending Team, has won a Butler Trust Award for her work on StaySafe.

StaySafe is a joint initiative run between South Wales Police and Cardiff Council and is aimed at engaging with vulnerable children and young people who may be at risk of becoming a victim of crime or involved in criminal or anti-social behaviour.

Councillor Richard Cook, Cardiff Council’s Cardiff’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “To have your efforts recognised at a national level is a great achievement and I am delighted for Sarah-Jane.

“We take the health and wellbeing of young people in Cardiff very seriously and Staysafe is a great example of how we are working with our partners to help keep vulnerable children safe.

“I’d like to thank Sarah-Jane for all her efforts in helping to make the scheme such a success.”

The Awards, which were established in 1985 in memory of the former Home Secretary RAB Butler, are the most prestigious of their kind in the country.

They were set up to formerly recognise and celebrate outstanding dedication, skill and creativity by people working in prisons, probation and youth justice settings across the UK.

There were 250 entrants into this year’s competition and the winners were selected by a panel of judges.

Sarah-Jane will be officially presented with her award by the Trust’s Royal Patron, The Princess Royal, at a special ceremony being held at Buckingham Palace on 11 March.

Cardiff’s horticultural apprentices showcase gardening skills learnt in France

Posted by Now Cardiff on Dec 18, 2012

Three young horticultural apprentices, who travelled to Cardiff’s twin city of Nantes in France to gain new skills and experiences, have presented their findings to project partners.

Anthony Davies, Joshua Thatcher and Magdalena Szczerbinska spent three weeks with the Nantes Parks Department Beaujoire as part of the Cardiff Council Parks and Gardens Horticultural Apprenticeship Scheme, funded by the European Leonardo da Vinci Programme.

Cabinet Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, Cllr Huw Thomas said: “We are extremely proud of the Council’s horticultural apprenticeship scheme which continues to provide young people with opportunity to learn valuable skills in an outdoor environment, utilising the city’s excellent parks and green spaces.

“This event will showcase what they have learnt and how the scheme has benefitted their studies as well as demonstrating how positive and credible the scheme is, having been awarded European funding.”

The event which took place on Wednesday 12, December at the Bute Park Education Centre also gave family members of the apprentices and the Heritage Lottery Fund, the major funder of heritage skills in Wales, the opportunity to discover what the group learnt during the work experience placement, including looking at the various differences and similarities between the two cities Councils and parks departments, vehicles and mechanisation, organisation and horticultural methods. They will also demonstrate some ideas that Cardiff could possibly implement here.

The apprentices undertook several French language tutorials in preparation for the placement improving language skills in addition to horticulture.

They worked with gardeners in the Jardin des Plantes, the Grand Blottereau park and the Beaujoire flower gardens.

Cardiff Council was successful in securing over 12,500 Euros from the Leonardo da Vinci Programme to develop the exchange programme for the Parks Services horticultural apprentices.

The Nantes exchange scheme has been a highly valuable part of the horticultural apprenticeship training programme which has the benefits of improving their horticultural skills and assisting in contributing to the apprentice’s curriculum for their studies in horticulture.

Jennifer Stewart, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund Wales which is supporting a range of heritage skills work based placements, said: “This scheme has provided invaluable experiences and opportunities for the apprentices. It’s great to see Anthony, Joshua and Magdalena so passionate about developing the skills they need to take Wales’ heritage forward.

“In a tough job market it’s more important than ever that we invest in training placements to provide job-seekers or career changers with the practical skills and confidence they need to get jobs within the heritage sector. Such is the demand for these opportunities we have invested further in our Skills for the Future programme which is now open to new applicants until 31 January 2013.”

The Leonardo da Vinci Programme is part of the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme which supports education and training across Europe. It also provides opportunities for UK vocational education and training.

Cardiff Council’s horticultural apprenticeship scheme aims to develop skills through an in-house programme of practical training, combined with day release study. The scheme addresses the current skills gap in the industry and contributes to promoting career development and retaining a highly skilled workforce in the Parks Service.

As part of the programme, the apprentices benefit from a diverse range of activities and operations associated with horticulture including plant production and propagation, plant identification, conservation and tree management and fine turf.

Butetown regeneration scheme provides training opportunities

Posted by Now Cardiff on Dec 13, 2012

A major revamp of the Christina Street area in Butetown is providing local employment opportunities as well as helping to transform the local area.

The project is part of the Butetown regeneration programme funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the Welsh Government and Cardiff Council.

The improvements at Christina Street include new pedestrian and parking layouts, better lighting, new garden walls and boundaries, tree planting and landscaping.

The principal contractor appointed by the Council to undertake the scheme is civil engineering company, Alun Griffiths Ltd.  As part of their winning tender bid, Alun Griffiths proposed a community benefits package which included training and employment opportunities.

Working in partnership with Cardiff and Vale College, who run a range of construction skills training courses from their Cardiff Construction Training Centre, Alun Griffiths has implemented a work experience programme for students studying Bricklaying Level 3. Six students have been provided with two weeks work experience in bricklaying on the Christina Street project.

Kevin Robinson, Campus Manager, thinks it has been a great opportunity for students to get practical experience on a ‘live’ construction site just across the road from the College’s Dumballs Road training centre.

He said: “The students have found that the on-site experience complements the training in the classroom.  It has improved their confidence but also helped them to develop the speed of their bricklaying.  It has been a positive experience, with the students being more focussed and more motivated on returning from the placement.”

For one student, Kieron Ellis, his placement at Christina Street has led to a longer-term role with Alun Griffiths on a construction site in Bridgend.  Kieron will work three days a week whilst he completes the final year of his studies.

Gail Jones, Community Liaison Officer for Alun Griffiths Ltd, said: “As a company, we are committed to provide community benefits on all our major contracts. Having the opportunity to link up with local training provider, Cardiff and Vale College, has allowed us to offer practical work placements which will help deliver a skilled workforce for the future.”

As well as the work experience placements, they have also employed Butetown resident, Kahader Suleman as a labourer.  Gail highlighted the benefits for the company as well as the community.   In the case of Kahader, he was able to assist Gail with translation when she was consulting local residents on the plans.

Cabinet Member for Communities, Housing and Social Justice, Councillor Lynda Thorne said: “Our Administration is committed to maximising training and employment opportunities for the people of Cardiff. Christina Street is a practical example of how our regeneration programmes are delivering on this commitment. I am pleased that Alun Griffiths has provided these work experience placements. Such opportunities can be an essential first step for young people looking for secure employment in a skilled occupation”.

Literacy levels raised with the help of local businesses

Posted by Now Cardiff on Oct 19, 2012

Literacy levels have shot up in a number of schools across the city as a result of a successful Council reading scheme.

The Reading Power business volunteer’s initiative is an innovative scheme where volunteers from local businesses visit schools to read with students.

It is part of the Council’s literacy strategy which was launched in 2010 to help improve standards in reading and writing across schools in the city.

The campaign has seen impressive results, with standards of literacy rising at all the schools where the volunteers are involved.

One of the schools involved in the scheme is Glyn Derw High School, which has been supported by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, and has seen dramatic improvements. In some cases pupils have increased their reading age by more than three and a half years in just one year.

For example an 11 year old who was previously assessed to have a reading age of an eight year old has, in just one year, caught up to the reading age they should have as a result of the scheme.

Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Julia Magill said, “I am delighted and encouraged by these results. Literacy plays a fundamental role in people’s lives and as a Council we recognise the importance of raising standards so that everyone can fulfil their potential.

“Poor literacy has a dramatic effect on both an individual’s life and wider society. Our schools are working hard to tackle the issue of poor literacy, and have embraced this campaign. We want to help parents and carers understand the importance of good reading and writing skills to help children succeed in the future, and the business volunteers are providing vital support with that message.”

More than 160 volunteers from local businesses and organisations have given time and support to 14 schools in the city, spending an hour a week in a school reading with pupils.

The feedback from volunteers based in secondary schools is that they have noticed clear progress in the students they read with, especially in terms of reading fluency and comprehension, concentration, confidence and enthusiasm.

Another example at one our excellent primary schools St Mary the Virgin Primary School, supported by Admiral, achieved 100 per cent functional literacy this year for their Year 6s.

Ten local Cardiff businesses, who have expressed an interest in signing up to the scheme, are set to attend a function tonight with the Council Leader Heather Joyce, who is strongly supporting the initiative and Cllr McGill.

It is hoped that the recruitment of more businesses will enable the initiative to expand into more schools in the city.

Cardiff Council Chief Executive Jon House, who helped to establish support for the scheme through his meetings with businesses, added: “The support and commitment from Head-teachers, local businesses and organisations working closely in partnership has had an extremely positive impact on students taking part. The excellent work the teachers and volunteers do is key to the good progress we are making and hope to continue.”

Best ever year for “Get it out for Cardiff”

Posted by Now Cardiff on Oct 9, 2012

The Lord Mayor’s charity, Llamau, will benefit to the tune of £1540 as the Get It Out for Cardiff 2012 campaign concluded the last of its kitchen reuse sales at Cardiff Metropolitan University and Cardiff University Students Union.

Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Ashley Govier was delighted with this year’s totals. He said, “This re-use scheme collects and re-uses unwanted kitchen items from leaving students and resells to new students.  The items would otherwise have been destined for the streets or landfill at the end of the last summer term.  We are always looking to improve the scheme and this year we joined forces with the YMCA and this has been the best year yet with over 12 and a half tonnes of reuse items collected at halls of residence and the Students Union throughout the summer.”

Students queued to snap up kitchen utensils such as pots, pans, plates, cutlery and mugs at the freshers fayre and the total comfortably surpassed last year’s total of £740.

The YMCA also had a stall selling used electrical goods such as kettles and irons and raised an excellent £505.  The teams sold nearly 90% of the items collected and what was left was donated to two Cardiff charities (Pen Yr Enfys and Cardiff Christians) who both distributed the equipment to people who have been re-homed, reside in hostels or have to had to move to a refuge.

Cllr Govier added, “This administration is committed to changing the way we all think about the waste we produce across all sections of society.  Students are a big part of what makes Cardiff such a vibrant place and it’s great to see them donating and re-using so enthusiastically helping the environment and community based local charities in the process.”

(more…)