
Plans for multi-million-pound employment drive in Denbighshire
This will include help with CV writing and job searching, one-to-one mentoring, counselling services, wellbeing provision, and access to condition management services for those with health conditions.
'Trailblazer' areas have been selected to trial out new approaches to employment support in a bid to reduce unemployment, tackle inactivity and improve job opportunities.
The plans were unveiled by UK minister for employment, Alison McGovern; and Welsh Government minister, Jack Sargeant, at Rhyl Library yesterday (April 22).
While there, both ministers witnessed the support available via Working Denbighshire, including meeting 'work coaches' who offer expert, tailored assistance.
Wales is one of nine places receiving support through the UK Government's £125 million economic inactivity trailblazer programme.
Melanie Evans, principal strategic employment manager for Denbighshire County Council, says the aim with the additional funding is to assist 1,000 more people in the county within the next year.
She said: 'The trailblazer is going to 'turbo-boost' what we already do here, and will allow us to support more people who are furthest away from the labour market.
'With the extra funding, we're going to work much more closely with our health partners and our employers to provide training.
'We're also going to run a number of pilot events, and focus on whereabouts the needs are and work much harder in those areas.'
Among those to have been helped by Working Denbighshire is Justina Kosinskiene, 36, who is originally from Lithuania and moved to Rhyl in 2010.
Justina Kosinskiene (Image: Newsquest) She said Working Denbighshire helped her greatly with improving her CV, her interview skills and her confidence, and is now volunteering once a week at its Project Barod scheme.
This initiative supports Denbighshire residents aged 16 or older to overcome barriers like low motivation or wellbeing challenges and get back into work or training.
Justina is now hoping to secure a job at a care home, a position which she found out about through Working Denbighshire.
She said: 'Working Denbighshire helped me a lot, so now it's my turn to help them.
'They gave me a chance to volunteer and get me more out of my comfort zone and gain more confidence, and helped me a lot with my CV.
'It's all been very, very helpful and made me a lot more confident… even just with things like answering interview questions or completing job applications.'
Dan Jones, owner of the Tu Mundo cafes in Meliden, Rhyl and Prestatyn, has taken on individuals looking for work who have been referred to him via Working Denbighshire.
Luke Jones was one such person, who was offered a full-time job after a successful placement and is now shift supervisor at its Rhyl store.
Dan and Luke Jones (Image: Newsquest) 'It shows that, if we give the right support and opportunity to people, there is the potential of long-term employment at the end of it,' dan said.
'We don't take them on to replace a job; it's not a saving for the business. For us, there a lot of time and effort invested.
'Customers actively come in looking for Luke now, so it's a really rewarding process.'
Luke added: 'I'm a lot more confident now. I've got a partner, with a wedding down the line, and I'm looking to move out soon, so life is looking a lot better now.
'It's given me a lot more purpose. Working with Dan is fun, as well, because he matches my sense of humour.'
Mrs McGovern said Working Denbighshire has been a 'real inspiration' for the changes the government now wants to bring about, and called the county 'a perfect place to try a new approach'.
Alison McGovern and Jack Sargeant at Tuesday's launch (Image: Submitted) She said: 'One of the reasons Denbighshire is ideal as a trailblazer is because it's quite varied - we know that nationally, coastal economies have had quite a challenging time in the last few years.
'But Denbighshire is also a place with rural villages and industries, and we want to be able to understand what difference that sort of geography makes.'
Mr Sargeant added: 'We know there are a number of people who are inactive in the economy in Denbighshire, and we know the good work that Working Denbighshire has done in the past about getting people into work.
'Working Denbighshire has a proven track record of getting people back into the workplace and the job market; that was one of the reasons why we focused on it being a pilot programme in our trailblazer.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business News Wales
11 hours ago
- Business News Wales
Monmouth Firm Develops Retail Tech System Thanks to Innovation Support
A Welsh tech firm is supporting the the retail industry to streamline operations, grow faster and unlock circular economy initiatives. Founded in 2015 by Jonathan and Louise Petrie, Monmouth-based Dot On helps retailers manage their sales and supply chain operations in one system. Whilst many businesses struggle with outdated, fragmented technology that slows them down, the firm's technology enables retailers to connect all pre-existing systems and flexibly operate them all from a single system, saving time, reducing mistakes and assisting growth. To make this happen, the company turned to the Welsh Government's SMART Flexible Innovation Support (SMART FIS), a programme providing funding, expertise and specialist support to help organisations develop and implement innovative solutions. With expert support, the company was able to: Identify the key challenges facing retailers – like customer frustration, operational inefficiencies, limited ability to scale and growing sustainability pressures caused by siloed and inflexible systems. Develop a detailed three-year innovation plan, setting out how to build a next-gen sales and supply chain management system. Bring that plan to life – developing new features and rolling out the technology to more businesses. As a result, the company has tripled its staff with plans to double again in the coming year. Jonathan Petrie, CEO and Co-founder of Dot On, said: 'There's nothing like this support anywhere else in the world. Wales leads in innovation support and SMART FIS is truly transformative.' Louise Petrie, CFO and Co-founder of Dot On, added: 'It's not just about funding. It gives businesses like ours the flexibility to adapt and grow, helping us push the boundaries of what's possible.' The company worked with the Innovation team to create a centralised platform that manages sales and supply chain operations, saving time, reducing errors and improving customer experiences. In 2021, the company secured £98,000 in Welsh Government innovation funding, which helped move the company from concept to a working solution, allowing real-world testing and refinement. In 2023, the company received £37,000 in SMART FIS Level 1 funding, to develop a detailed innovation plan. The Innovation Specialist worked closely with the company to refine its research and development (R&D) strategy, ensuring its roadmap aligned with the ever-changing needs of the retail sector. Since securing SMART FIS Level 1 funding, the company has seen its revenue grow by 400%. The success of this plan led to further support in 2024 and 2025, including SMART FIS Level 2 funding of £400,000, helped it accelerate growth, improving platform functionality and scaling up operations. Jonathan added: 'Fragmented and inflexible sales and supply chain systems have been a problem for decades. Something as simple as changing a shipping address on a customer order should take seconds, not 10–20 minutes as it currently does – across multiple systems. SMART FIS has given us the support to build a system that fixes these inefficiencies, transforming how businesses operate.' The impact of Dot On's innovation on the retail sector has been significant: Retailers using its platform have cut operational costs by 4%, saving one business £400,000 a year. Customer returns have dropped by 5% and processing time has been cut by 90%. Customer services overall labour cost has been reduced by 33%. Inventory accuracy improved by 28%. Customer satisfaction has jumped by 15%. The company's success has also gained international recognition. In 2024, the company was introduced to luxury goods company, LVMH, as one of the 'best of what the UK has to offer' by the UK Department for Business and Trade.


Business News Wales
11 hours ago
- Business News Wales
Welsh Government Project Delivers More Than £676 Million Impact to the Food and Drink Industry
A Welsh Government-funded project that provides technical support to food and drink manufacturers has delivered more than £676 million in its total impact. Project HELIX has been one of the Welsh Government's key programmes for supporting the Welsh food and drink industry over the last decade, providing a range of assistance, including help with food safety certification scheme compliance, innovative new product development, and improving process efficiencies. The announcement of Project HELIX's total impact coincides with the launch of the Project HELIX Annual Report 2024-25, which focuses on the period 1st July 2023 – 31st March 2025. Since 1st July 2023, Project HELIX has: Delivered over £303 million impact to the Welsh food and drink industry Supported the creation of 188 jobs and safeguarded a further 6,131 Helped companies develop 533 new products and gain 149 third-party certifications Worked with 199 companies, including 103 start-ups As a result of the success of Project HELIX, the Welsh Government has announced further funding for the project, which has relaunched as the HELIX Programme. One company to have benefited from Project HELIX support is Pembrokeshire Gold, a family run rapeseed oil manufacturer, who were helped with factory design, new product development and labelling. Harry Thomas, Co-owner, Pembrokeshire Gold, said: 'The support from Project HELIX has been a huge help in developing our product range. Their expertise in new product development gave us the knowledge and belief to turn our cold pressed rapeseed oil into something more – and something we're really proud of.' Through Project HELIX, Llanfairpwll Distillery, a craft distillery based in Anglesey, were assisted to convert the waste liquid left over from their rum distillation into animal feed, which they now sell to local farmers. Robert Laming, Owner of Llanfairpwll Distillery, said: 'Project HELIX support has enabled us to manufacture our rum with zero waste, which helps to reduce pollution and preserve resources whilst saving money for both the farmer and us.' Meanwhile, Carmarthenshire based Mario's Ice Cream were helped to secure BRCGS Start intermediate level, a globally recognised food safety certification for small to medium-sized businesses. Riccardo Dallavalle, Director of Operations, Mario's Ice Cream, said: 'The support from Project HELIX has been vital in enabling Mario's to secure BRCGS Start certification and as a result drive further business growth.' Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: 'The remarkable £676 million impact delivered by Project HELIX demonstrates how strategic government investment can transform an industry. This initiative has been a cornerstone of our support for Welsh food and drink manufacturers, creating jobs, driving innovation, and helping businesses thrive in competitive markets. The success stories from companies like Pembrokeshire Gold, Llanfairpwll Distillery, and Mario's Ice Cream highlight the practical benefits this technical support brings to businesses of all sizes across Wales. 'I'm delighted to announce continued funding through the HELIX Programme, which will build on this success by bringing together industry, government and academia to support sustainable growth in one of Wales' most important sectors. This renewed commitment reflects our confidence in Welsh food and drink producers and our determination to see them continue to innovate, expand, and showcase Welsh quality on the global stage.' Professor David Lloyd, on behalf of the HELIX Programme, said: 'The impact of Project HELIX both financially and in terms of employment, is a testament to the effectiveness of the knowledge that has been shared between industry, government and academia through the project. 'With the launch of the HELIX Programme, the Welsh Government has further demonstrated its commitment to encouraging sustainable growth in the Welsh food and drink foundation sector through a strong emphasis on productivity improvement, innovation and attaining industry leading standards.' Project HELIX was delivered by three food centres across Wales – Food Centre Wales in Ceredigion, Food Technology Centre in Anglesey, and ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University. As part of the HELIX Programme relaunch, AberInnovation in Ceredigion will provide pan-Wales academic research support.


The Herald Scotland
21 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Ian Murray: SNP must lift nuclear ban after Sizewell C deal
New investors in Sizewell C include Canadian investment fund La Caisse with 20%, British Gas owner Centrica with 15%, and Amber Infrastructure with an initial 7.6%. READ MORE This follows French energy giant EDF announcing earlier this month that it would take a 12.5% stake—lower than its previously stated 16.2%. The total investment, which combines equity funding and debt financing, exceeds the target construction cost. Ministers say this should provide a buffer in the event of cost overruns. The National Wealth Fund—the Government's investment vehicle—is providing the bulk of the debt finance through a loan of up to £36.6bn. From autumn, an average of £1 will be added to each household's energy bill per month for the duration of the construction phase. Once operational in the 2030s, Sizewell C is expected to deliver savings of up to £2 billion a year across the UK's future low-carbon electricity system. The Government said the plant would generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of six million homes and create around 10,000 jobs. While energy is largely reserved to the [[UK Government]], the Scottish Government effectively has a veto on new nuclear power developments through planning regulations. Commenting on the announcement, Mr Murray said: 'The UK Government's deal with EDF to build Sizewell C shows again how Scotland is losing out. 'This deal will bring jobs and investment to the local economy, as well as helping us meet our clear power ambitions. 'The UK Government is driving forward nuclear power in other parts of the UK, but in Scotland the Scottish Government continues to block new nuclear sites. 'That means Scotland is being left behind, missing out on jobs and growth, as well as affordable energy. I urge the Scottish Government again to put Scotland's interests first and drop their ideological objections.' However, the SNP warned that Scottish energy bill payers would bear the cost if the project overruns again. They said the statement had been 'snuck out just hours before the Parliament goes into a six-week summer recess'. READ MORE: The SNP's energy spokesperson, Graham Leadbitter said: 'Nuclear is extortionate, takes decades to build and the toxic waste is a risk to local communities. "Scotland's future is in renewables, carbon capture and links to Europe—not more money for white elephants. 'Just months ago, the Labour Government rubbished the £38bn figure for Sizewell C, yet today Ed Miliband snuck out a statement confirming they've lost control of this project before spades are even in the ground. 'To make matters worse, Scots will be left to foot the bill with a levy on energy bills. You simply could not make it up—yet Anas Sarwar and Scottish Labour back this extortionate and wasteful plan that energy-rich Scotland will pay for through the nose.'