If any of you have been in the city centre or near Swansea Arena this week, the fact that it’s been Swansea University’s student graduation week will have been very hard to miss. I was fortunate to be among those attending Tuesday’s occasion, where hundreds of students collected their degree certificates and other honours in front of proud family and friends. There was a lot of positive energy. There are often questions asked by members of the public about the value of students and what they bring to Swansea. Our universities, colleges and their students are part of the economic lifeblood of Swansea. But it’s not just the financial contribution they make. You can’t overestimate either the value to our reputation or our economy of these graduate advocates for our city. It was great to see them speaking about their time in Swansea with so much warmth and passion that many now regard it as home. Those who leave to make their way elsewhere in the world will be great ambassadors for us. But we also hope many will stay for work, to build their own businesses, boosting growth, employment and new opportunities in high tech and creative industries, for example. Their enthusiasm chimes with our ambition to transform the local economy by focusing on growth in new industries and skills development. Landmark projects like 71/72 Kingsway and the recently completed Innovation Matrix at UWTSD are just two examples of the ways we aim to do that, enabling graduates to make a future here and contribute to our growing reputation as a place that delivers for thriving businesses and communities.
Significant progress is being made at Y Storfa – another of our city centre landmarks which will soon be home to the central library, archives, other customer-facing services and much else besides. The project remains on schedule for a phased occupation to start later in the year. In recent weeks work has started on the steel framework for an eye-catching three-storey central stairway, beach hut-style meeting pods for our partners at Careers Wales as well as fitting windows and external cladding panels. I’ll keep you posted on the next steps.
Yesterday I caught up with the staff engagement group where we discussed, among other issues, the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and the new staff benefits scheme. There are great opportunities to tap into benefits for staff but also access a range of support services via the EAP programme. We will be sharing more information on these in the coming weeks, but you can access details via the following link.
We also discussed the next staff survey which is due to take place in September. Among the issues it’ll be looking at is your awareness of our obligations around the Welsh Language Standards. You can find out more about them here, but they’re an essential part of our commitment to ensure the Welsh language is treated no less favourably than English. In the meantime, if you live in Swansea, please consider joining the conversation in our residents’ survey here.
My congratulations to Rachel Jowitt, who has been appointed our new head of service for Waste Management and Building Services after a competitive application process. Rachel has been serving as interim head, but I’m sure you’ll join me in welcoming her to the role on a permanent basis.
A big thank-you this morning to Ben Cromie and colleagues in the emergency management team who stepped in to support residents in the early hours of this morning after a fire at a nearby 5G mast threatened their homes in Heol Gwyrosydd. The team opened a nearby community centre where they supported 11 residents including two elderly people and a family with three young children for around two hours until they were able to return home safely.
Well done to our recycling teams and especially our staff at Clyne Recycling Centre. This week their work was featured in an article in The Guardian that could not have been more flattering in its praise. Have a read as it’s a terrific endorsement of what we do and a boost to our reputation among millions of Guardian online readers.
Finally, a big thank you to all the teams involved in ensuring the summer holidays go well for our residents and local families. For some who feel the challenges of the cost of living crisis every day, school holidays can be a difficult period. Supporting them is what our #HereForYouThisSummer campaign is about, and you can find out more about the food support and free events on offer here.
Leave a Reply