The number of non-Welsh speakers working for Ceredigion County Council is reducing, with only four per cent – 66 people – unable to use the language.

Council leader Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn said this was an improvement, as was the reduction of complaints about Welsh language issues, to four, made to the commissioner.

She updated Cabinet on Tuesday, 11 June, on the latest information from the annual review of Welsh language standards required across the authority.

Cllr ap Gwynn said that there were 656 members of council staff – 34 per cent – who can speak Welsh fluently, to Association of Language Testers in Europe level five.

This dropped to 484 – 25 per cent – when it came to writing fluently in Welsh. Those assessing their own ability between levels three and five and able to hold a conversation in Welsh totalled 1,196 or 63 per cent of council staff.

“I have had contact from one staff member thanking me that the council does allow them to improve their ability to work through the medium of Welsh,” said Cllr ap Gwynn.

Between April 2018 and March this year 129 members of staff had the chance to learn the language or improve their skills, a report to Cabinet added, including 14 who achieved the Mynediad (entry level) Learn Welsh exam. Eleven of these people went on to the next level, Sylfaen, and 28 will sit a language exam this month.

More staff will be encouraged to take part in the 10-hour Croeso Cymraeg online course, members heard, after 17 completed it out of 101 who signed up.

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