A student from the Western Isles of Scotland received a warm welcome in north Wales this week during a special visit hosted by the ARFOR Llwyddo’n Lleol project. The aim of the trip was to give Jamie Duncan an insight into how Welsh-speaking communities promote local career opportunities, sharing good practice and valuable experiences between two nations with similar history and challenges.
As part of the Welsh Government’s ARFOR programme, Llwyddo’n Lleol aims to promote economic opportunities across those areas where the Welsh language is strongest, the counties of Ynys Môn (Anglesey), Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. As part of the Gaelic Student Placement Scheme the initiative in Scotland has a similar aim, supporting students to live and work in communities where the Gaelic language is spoken.
During his visit Jamie had the opportunity to learn about innovative ways to encourage young people to stay or return to their areas to work or set up businesses and as a result to strengthen the language.
Jade Owen, project manager for Llwyddo’n Lleol, explained why this was an important visit: “It has been fantastic to welcome Jamie to Ynys Môn and Gwynedd – an opportunity not only to share our experiences, but also to learn from him. Working together to encourage continuous learning is one of our core objectives as a project to extend the benefit of the work we do.”
“It’s incredibly valuable to see what works in other areas facing similar challenges, and in particular the loss of young people and the impact that has on the future of the language.”
During his visit, Jamie saw for himself some of the projects that promote the Welsh language, as an integral part of life and work including the Morlais tidal energy scheme near Holyhead and Nyth, home to theatre company, Frân Wen in Bangor.
He said: “Wales has been a fantastic place to visit, seeing first-hand how young people are given the opportunity through projects like Llwyddo’n Lleol – to work and socialise through the medium of Welsh. It’s inspiring to see the similarities with our Gaelic initiatives in the Western Isles, ensuring that language is a natural part of everyday life and work.”
As someone who speaks Gaelic and works within the community, it was an opportunity for him to see how linguistic initiatives in Wales work and to think about how similar approaches could be adapted for his own community.
The hope is that collaboration between Llwyddo’n Lleol and the student scheme in Scotland can highlight that it is possible to develop a successful career in minority languages, strengthening local economies and building a future where culture and language can continue to thrive.