Welsh at work, and how it can boost your bottom line
Increasingly, businesses in Wales are seeing the benefits of using the Welsh language in their dealings with clients. Companies of all sizes and across all sectors are realising that there is a business edge to be gained from taking even small steps to cater for the 600,000 people in Wales who speak the language – more than 1 in 5 of the population.
From the point of view of customer service, it follows that best practice in a bilingual country means serving your customers in the language of their choice.
This session raises people’s awareness and understanding by examining the current situation of the Welsh language, by taking a quick look back at some history which helps explain a great deal about where we are and by exploring how people feel towards the Welsh language and their experiences of the language in business.
As far the age of its speakers, Welsh is a very young language, with almost 2/3 speakers under the age of 45. This is a hugely diverse demographic which sends a strong message to companies and organisations operating in Wales. As people’s confidence grows in using the Welsh language in all walks of life, so will demand for bilingual services. This workshop can help companies respond to this demand and ensure that they are able to take practical steps to make their services more open to Welsh speaking customers.
