Author: Rhys Gregory

Seven Powys projects have received Shared Prosperity Fund support worth a total of £1.85 million in the last eight months to help boost business investment and create jobs. The awards have been made by the Powys Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) Local Partnership Board, supported by Powys County Council’s Economy and Climate Service, under its Supporting Local Business theme. The successful projects are: Powys Business Growth Grants, a further £716,724, to Powys County Council’s Economy and Climate Service, to run a scheme to help business in Powys fund work that will either create or safeguard jobs. Hay Festival, £250,000, to Hay…

A business with a reputation for delivering high-quality steel products is expanding its operations and extending its headquarters with support from the Welsh Government. Kiernan Structural Steel Ltd is making a £1.4million investment in its headquarters in Llandrindod Wells. This will strengthen its capacity, helping it to meet evolving market demands and maximize growth opportunities. The project will create 39 new jobs, including five apprenticeships, and safeguard a further 24 positions, with £140,000 in funding from the Welsh Government. The business currently supplies products to a diverse range of sectors, from construction and infrastructure, to manufacturing and pharmaceutical. The investment…

Thanks to over £100,000 of Welsh Government funding, researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University are developing a new set of tests to improve the identification of literacy difficulties in Welsh medium secondary school pupils. Literacy difficulties, including dyslexia, are common, and mainly affect reading, writing, and spelling skills. Dyslexia is classified as a disability, and it’s estimated that around 1 in 10 people in the UK experience some level of dyslexia. It’s important to identify literacy difficulties and provide appropriate support as soon as possible. The new tests will fill a gap in Welsh medium schools as the tests will be…

The Minister for Further and Higher education, Vikki Howells has this week set out her aims and objectives in her newly created ministerial role, with an emphasis on collaboration, cooperation and community. Areas of focus include: Increasing the visibility of options for post-16 learners, whether it be academic or vocational route, highlighting the importance to learners that there are educational opportunities that can work for them and their families at every stage of their lives, regardless of age, background or personal circumstances. Cooperation across government, to ensure that education can act as a key lever in the government’s agenda and…

Students across Wales are grappling with substandard living conditions in their rented accommodations, facing issues such as mould, bed bugs, and rats, all while seeing their rents steadily increase. Campaigners are calling for urgent rent controls, arguing that students and other tenants are being “ripped off” by landlords who fail to maintain their properties but continue to charge higher rates. The situation has become particularly dire in the capital, Cardiff, where rental prices have surged by 13% in just one year. At the same time, a growing number of renters feel they have no choice but to make a housing…

With recruiters reviewing countless resumes for each open position, making your CV stand out has never been more important. Thankfully, AI tools are offering new ways to improve your resume’s effectiveness. By using these AI-driven tools, job seekers can better tailor their applications, increase visibility with hiring managers, and improve their chances of landing interviews. Here’s how AI can help you enhance your CV and boost your job search success. Unraveling the AI Advantage So, what are the advantages? While many still rely on traditional methods to draft their resumes, AI offers a modern, data-driven approach to build a resume…

The Welsh government has confirmed a 5.5% pay increase for NHS Wales staff on Agenda for Change on the 10/10/2024, fully accepting the recommendations from the independent pay review body. You can use this tool to calculate your monthly take home pay with settings such as unsocial hours and overtime. This announcement comes after weeks of anticipation, as the UK government has confirmed pay rise for NHS England staff in September 2024.  Andrew RT Davies, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, said: “It is clearly in the UK’s national interest to bring these strikes to an end, yet…

If you want romance – we’ve got it. In this article, we’ll highlight the 4 premier holiday destinations in Europe for a proper honeymoon. Whether it’s a serene escape to the seaside, a luxurious getaway for two or a break in the City that radiates love 24/7 – let us share some of the best places for a honeymoon in the Old Continent. Paris – the City of Love It’s probably no surprise seeing Paris on this list. The French capital holds the title as the City of Love and does so rightfully.  As of right now, there just isn’t…

A new pop-up Halloween store has launched at St David’s Cardiff this October.     Open now, Halloween Land offers a full range of Halloween merchandise from frightful fancy dress, crazy costumes, and wicked wigs through to horrifying homeware, decorations, and party supplies. The store also sells licensed horror t-shirts and animatronics.     Located in the Town Wall South mall in St David’s, next to Bagel Place and close to Watches of Switzerland and H Samuel, the 1,000 sq ft Halloween Land store is open until Saturday 2nd November.     Owner Luke Ryan commented: “Shopping in a Halloween store like ours…

Gwasg Pia, one of the UK’s leading independent accessible format providers, has transitioned into employee ownership (EO), nearly forty years after it was founded as a cooperative in 1985. Set up as a typesetting business designing and producing printing plates, the company changed direction after winning a major contract to publish a braille handbook for a BBC Radio 4 programme. It then expanded to become a limited company in 1992, developing Braille Maker, the UK’s leading braille translation software. Sharon Williams joined the company in 1999 without an official job title, but as general help around the office, swiftly progressing…