#BrightFutures – employability and the School’s provision

Your professional ambition, as well as your academic and personal development, is central to our provision at the School of Welsh. This blog offers an overview of some of the activities and opportunities provided to students at the School.

The School of Welsh supports your employability skills in numerous ways, not least through the core and optional modules across our degree programmes.

BA Welsh

In Year 1, Ysgrifennu Creadigol a Phroffesiynol, and Chymraeg Creadigol a Phroffesiynol (Creative and Professional Writing and Creative and Professional Welsh) for second-language students, introduces you to a wide range of writing methods and formats relevant to the world of work.

Core second-year module Yr Iaith ar Waith (The Language at Work) gives students the chance to think about the relevance and applicability of Welsh in the professional world. With opportunities to engage with invited guest speakers and undertake a period of work experience. Although COVID019 has meant students weren’t able to go into workplaces this year, valuable online experiences took place instead, which offered a real insight into new ways of working.

Several optional modules – including Cyfieithu Proffesiynol, Yr Ystafell Ddosbarth and Sgriptio (Professional Translation, The Classroom and Scriptwriting) – develop skills directly relevant to the world of work. Opportunities for work experience and engagement with invited speakers are also integral to these modules.

BA Welsh and the Professional Workplace

Our BA Welsh and the Professional Workplace offers all of the above but with an increased vocational focus. It offers additional work experience opportunities and for students to be assigned an external mentor from the professional world during their studies.

MA Welsh and Celtic Studies

If you choose to join us to study our MA programme, employability will play an important role. The Ymcwhilio Academaidd a Phroffesiynol (Professional and Academic Research) module explores the importance of research skills in the world of work and includes periods of work experience.

Extra-curricular activities

Outside of the lecture theatre, opportunities abound for students to interact and develop their skills. Many graduates return to speak at a range of social and careers events, and this has continued digitally during lockdowns. In March, for example, poet and presenter Anni Llŷn joined Cymdeithas Iolo (a society for School of Welsh students.

Cardiff Award

There are valuable opportunities across the University as well. We encourage our students to follow the Cardiff Award programme, which develops key employability and careers skills and offers a competitive advantage when applying for jobs. An online platform – Your Career Journey – helps support completion of the Award, while a new resource – Your Career and Welsh – which has been developed by School staff in collaboration with the University’s Careers and Employability team has just launched.

Careers, Employability and Global Opportunities

The Careers and Employability centre offers a range of workshops and advice sessions through the medium of Welsh and the School has an allocated Careers Advisor, Kirsty Osman. Kirsty holds many different workshops for School students or they can book 1-to-1 appointments.

The School also has close relationships with Welsh speakers in Patagonia and offers a summer programme to live and work in Argentina. Although impacted this year because of the pandemic, it will run again once it’s safe to do so. In the meantime, flexible online opportunities were offered to students instead.

Author: Dr Elen Ifan