Tag Archives: gwynedd

News

North Wales education scheme targets next generation of STEM workers

AN INNOVATIVE education scheme is helping to meet a surge in demand for skilled STEM workers.

Over the last decade there has been rapid growth in students opting to take STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) subjects at university, including a 400% rise in AI (Artificial Intelligence) applicants UK-wide.

Despite this, there is still an overwhelming need for more candidates in areas including IT, Computer Science, Engineering, Data Analysis and Biology, which is why STEM Gogledd is working hard to attract more young people into these sectors.

Targeting 11 to 19 year olds in Conwy, Anglesey and Gwynedd, the project launched two years ago and was gaining momentum when Covid-19 took hold in the UK; all communications were moved online and as a result they managed to unite industry and academia to help bring through the next generation of apprentices and employees.

Supported by funding from WEFO (Welsh European Funding Office) and the European Social Fund (ESF), Regional Manager Dyfed Jones says their aim is to increase awareness and interest in STEM from an early age.

“A lot of the younger children are unsure what STEM is, and, as they grow older, whether there will be a viable career in it for them,” said Dyfed.

“Through this initiative we can engage Year 7 onwards and go on that journey with them through school to higher education, an apprenticeship or the world of work.

“We do this via mentoring and our close partnerships with companies across North Wales, hosting visits and welcoming them to speak to the pupils. During Covid we have had to do this virtually but that has made them more accessible and means more than one school can take part.”

Working with thousands of students and staff at 24 secondary schools across the three counties, the STEM Gogledd team will begin holding face-to-face sessions when it is safe to do so – adhering to social distancing and Coronavirus rules – and are also planning to launch a new podcast.

They hope to hear from businesses this academic year, and also want to engage more girls in what is traditionally a male-dominated arena.

“The number of women in STEM careers is rising but it is still only around 25%,” said Dyfed.

“Education is key and so is demonstrating – for girls and boys – that there are options for them in STEM right here in North Wales.

“We have many incredible companies in this region and there is demand for skilled workers, so we have to step up and meet that challenge as the issue is very much on the agenda in Wales and we are at the forefront of a push to fill these roles for this and future generations.”

He added: “Our service was launched just six months before the Coronavirus pandemic; like many organisations we were hit for six and stopped in our tracks for a little while.

“We were really making inroads and getting into the schools, so we hope to be able to do so again in now and bring business and industry into the classroom.

“The aim is to embed stem into the curriculum even more and to work closely with teachers, parents and their communities to help drive young people to skilled jobs, jobs that will make a difference to the North Wales economy.

“We will keep working hard to do that and engaging with more companies, as from this coming year onwards more than one in five jobs will be in STEM industries.”

For more information, visit the STEM Gogledd website www.stemgogledd.cymru or email stemgogledd@gwynedd.llyw.cymru.

NOTES: AI (Artificial Intelligence) and education figures according to 2021 UCAS Report.

News

Gwynedd garage plans for future growth after supporting community through Covid

AN AWARD-WINNING garage which came to the rescue of frontline workers during the Coronavirus pandemic has experienced a surge in growth and customers.

Arwyn Hughes launched Arwyn’s Garage (Garej Arwyn) in 2004 on the site of his Dad Gwyndaf’s former haulage business.

It was just Arwyn, working out of a unit on Penygroes Industrial Estate and using his years of skills and experience as a mechanic to service and repair cars and fine-tune a range of vehicles, from Land Rovers to Audis and more.

Seventeen years later and the 46 year-old employs 23 people out of three workshops in the Gwynedd village.

A Mitsubishi Master Technician, Arwyn is also well-known for the support he gave to his community in lockdown, offering free courtesy cars to NHS and frontline staff so they could get to and from work safely.

He is now focused on continuing to grow the business while ensuring the safety of his team and customers, after what he describes as a “strange and challenging” 12 months.

“It has been a year unlike any other, but we have been able to carry on by introducing health and safety measures, ensuring social distancing and operating out of the three workshops,” said Arwyn, whose partner Aimi and son Cian also work in the business.

“We’ve been around for many years, but this has been a strange and challenging time for everyone, nobody has ever experienced anything like this before.

“We were all in unchartered territory and there was so much pressure on our frontline workers that we wanted to do something to help them, so we started to give discounts on labour for MOTs and servicing and provided free courtesy cars to get them to and from work safely.

“We were just glad to be able to help and give something back to people in the village who have supported us over the years.”

As member of the Good Garage Scheme, the business has won many awards.

Arwyn has also been successful with AGT (Arwyn’s Garage Tuning) and for more than five years has been one of Celtic Tuning’s network of dealerships across 19 countries worldwide.

“We have grown and grown, and it’s largely been down to dedication and hard work,” said Arwyn, a former pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle.

“I started out on my own and was later joined by a mechanic, then an apprentice, and from there I built things up slowly.

“I think reputation and word of mouth has played a part; before Coronavirus we had customers from as far away as Scotland coming here to use our services and facilities, so we hope to see that continue when lockdown is lifted, and it is safe to do so.”

He added: “I still get involved with fixing cars, getting my hands dirty and being there in the garage – that’s all I have ever done since leaving school.

“We will keep going and keep growing, that’s my vision and with the team I have around me I know we can achieve it.”

Visit www.garejarwyn.co.uk for more information or call 01286 882 299. Alternatively, email info@garejarwyn.co.uk.

COMPETITION: Arwyn’s Garage is giving away an official Wales rugby union shirt to celebrate the Guinness Six Nations tournament. To enter the prize draw, customers need to bring their vehicle to the garage to use one of the services on offer up until March 20. Anyone already booked in will be automatically entered into the draw. For terms and conditions visit the website.