Here is our latest update, covering: helping young people with additional learning needs succeed in employment; Cardiff's broadband boost; and Cardiff is the first Welsh city to be named a Tree City of the World.

Helping young people with Additional Learning Needs succeed in employment

A project which provides young people with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) with the support and training necessary so that they can successfully go onto employment has launched in Cardiff.

In joint partnership between Cardiff Council, the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Project Search provides training and work experience placements to young people with additional learning needs and/or autism, with the aim of preparing and supporting them in their transition from school to full time employment.

Since its initial pilot in September 2021, the scheme has been supported by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board who, as the employment partner, has provided a range of supported work experience placements at several departments at the University Hospital Wales in Heath, including pharmacy, cellular pathology, catering, switchboard, linen, housekeeping and portering.

Organisers are now looking for other employers and organisations to come forward and support future work placements. For more information please contact CardiffCommitment@cardiff.gov.uk

Pupils from Woodlands High School and Whitchurch High School in Cardiff and Ysgol Y Deri in the Vale of Glamorgan have been provided with lessons on employability skills and received support from Cardiff's Into Work Advice Service's specialist employment coach to access work experience placements during the full-time, one year programme.

Cardiff Council's Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "Project Search has been successful in ensuring young people with additional learning needs can access good-quality work experience placements and provision to support them in finding future employment.

"It is encouraging to hear that all seven interns currently remain with the health board with two securing employment as a direct result of their involvement with the project.

"The expansion of the project relies on organisations coming forward. They are invaluable in helping to support more young people to become ambitious, capable and prepared to work whilst championing confident individuals ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of our communities."

Read more here:

https://www.cardiffnewsroom.co.uk/releases/c25/29270.html

Broadband availability in Cardiff benefits from £7.7m boost

Cardiff Council's aim to enable all premises in the city to access fast, reliable broadband has received a major funding boost from the Welsh Government.

The city has been successful in its bid for more than £7.7m over the next three years from the government's Local Broadband Fund, which was set up to help local authorities and social enterprises throughout Wales address connectivity issues in their communities.

The latest funding boost is targeted at four projects across the country but the council's ‘Cardiff - y Rhai Olaf' scheme has received by far the largest share of the money.

The scheme initially targets 1,219 properties across Cardiff that the council has identified as unable to achieve speeds of 30Mbps, with some sites receiving as low as 2Mbps, and are not in other planned commercial roll-outs. Some sites are clustered, making the project quicker to deliver, while some are isolated sites that are more difficult to address. Properties that are considered to be high in the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation have been given priority.

The fund also provides a major boost for businesses across the city as it bids to be seen as a hub for creative industries. The roll-out of high-speed broadband is expected to plug gaps where connectivity has been poor in the past and some commercial premises are considered unviable for high-tech businesses

Cardiff Council's Cabinet Member for Investment & Development, Cllr Russell Goodway, said: "We're delighted that the Welsh Government has invested £7.7m to help us deliver gigabit-capable broadband to these premises in the city.

"We feel it's vital that everyone across the city, especially people in isolated and deprived areas that are as poorly served as remote parts of Wales, have the same digital opportunities that many of us take for granted. Furthermore, the pandemic saw a dramatic increase in the use of online services from retail and media streaming services, to keeping us connected to our loved ones.

"The importance of first-class fibre connectivity cannot be underestimated and this funding will help us ensure future-proof connectivity is available."

Read more here:

https://www.cardiffnewsroom.co.uk/releases/c25/29284.html

Cardiff is the first Welsh city to be named a Tree City of the World

Cardiff is the first Welsh city to be named a Tree City of the World in recognition of Cardiff Council's Coed Caerdydd tree-planting programme which aims to increase tree canopy cover in the city to 25% by 2030.

The Tree Cities of the world programme, founded by non-profit conservation and education organisation, the Arbor Day Foundation, aims to create more green spaces in urban areas by recognising cities that do it well.

Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke-Davies, said: "20,000 trees have already been planted across the city in the first 6 months of our ambitious tree-planting programme plan and with the help of our amazing army of volunteers, the plan is to plant many more over the coming years.

"As those trees grow they'll play an important role, not just in soaking up Cardiff's carbon emissions, but also helping clean the air we all breathe, providing important habitats for nature and making the city a greener place to live."

Read more here:

https://www.cardiffnewsroom.co.uk/releases/c25/29268.html