Number of council staff learning Welsh at lowest level since 2001

Rhiannon James, local democracy reporter

Caerphilly County Borough Council has seen the lowest number of staff taking up Welsh lessons since records began in 2001.

The Welsh Language Standards report for 2021/22 found that only 35 out of more than 8,000 members of council staff had signed up to learn Welsh during the past financial year.

Cllr Carol Andrews, cabinet member for education and communities, told the cabinet on Wednesday, June 15 that the Covid pandemic and staff adjusting to working from home could be explanations for the drop in uptake.

The cost of supporting staff to attend Welsh in the workplace courses for this year was £2,209.

But the report also highlighted that the number of Welsh speaking council staff increased by 2%, compared to the previous financial year.

The council’s deputy leader, Cllr Jamie Pritchard, said: “We have made some progress, but obviously more to go.”

He added that Ffilifest, held on Saturday, June 11, had been a “fantastic” celebration of the language and Welsh culture.