Conwy County Borough Council is actively working towards achieving zero waste to landfill and aims to become a net-zero carbon council by 2030. To provide its staff with the skills and knowledge necessary to enhance the council’s waste management practices, it is implementing apprenticeship programmes in collaboration with Cambrian Training Company.
In 2023-24, Conwy’s recycling rate was 69.6%, placing the council ninth out of 22 local authorities in Wales and practically meeting the Welsh Government’s 70% target.
Since 2013, 41 council employees from the waste collection and disposal teams have successfully completed Apprenticeships in Sustainable Recycling Activities and Systems Operational Management.
Some employees have upgraded their skills and careers from operatives to managers by progressing from Foundation (Level 2) to Apprenticeship (Level 3) and Higher (Level 4) apprenticeships.
The council, which operates a waste transfer station in Abergele and a materials recycling facility in Mochdre, currently has four staff on apprenticeship programmes with Cambrian Training.
Danielle Richards, the council’s assistant waste disposal manager, is a former waste strategy apprentice herself and is passionate about work-based learning and waste management.
Danielle was the council’s first apprentice in the waste management team between 2005-’07 and has now qualified as a chartered waste manager.
She says apprenticeships are imperative if the country is to fill a national skills gap in the waste recycling and management industry.
“Waste and recycling will always need to be managed and Conwy County Borough Council is trying to build resilience in its services by ensuring that we have skilled and versatile staff on site who have the capacity to progress,” said Danielle.
Rory Wooller Conwy council
“Apprenticeships are extremely important because they give people the opportunity to work and learn at the same time and their confidence comes on in leaps and bounds, which is then transferred to the workplace.”
She praised the support provided to apprentices by Cambrian Training Company.
“They understand the skills gap that we are trying to fill and the resilience that we are trying to build within our team,” she added.
One of Danielle’s colleagues who has worked his way up from a refuse and recycling operative to a recycling education officer, after completing apprenticeships at Levels 2-4, is Rory Woller, 31, from Llanfairfechain.
Having worked for the council for 12 years, Rory now manages a team of four community recycling officers.
“When I first joined the authority, I was determined to develop a career whereby I would keep climbing the ladder,” he said. “I am committed to this sector now and any future employment would possibly be in site management or waste regulations.
“An apprenticeship shows the level of learning that you are capable of achieving and demonstrates that you are committed to improving yourself and your professional development.”
The Apprenticeship Programme in Wales is funded by the Welsh Government
Picture caption:
Conwy County Borough Council assistant waste disposal manager Danielle Richards with recycling education officer Rory Woller.
Ends
John Clay Conwy council
For more information, please contact Alison Collingridge, Cambrian Training’s Head of Marketing, on Tel: 01938 555893 or Duncan Foulkes, public relations adviser, on Tel: 01686 650818.
