Carmarthenshire

Geographic Diversity
The diverse, rural county of Carmarthenshire is the third largest county in Wales, covering almost 12% of the landmass of Wales. The county is one of rich diversity and contrast, from the sparsely populated northern and western rural areas to the more densely populated southern and coastal areas of Llanelli and Carmarthen.

The Welsh Language
The Welsh language is an important part of both business and culture within Carmarthenshire, and is home to the largest number of Welsh speakers in Wales. The growing numbers of Welsh administrative centres outside of the capital provides Carmarthenshire with exciting opportunities to harness the use of Welsh in the workplace; increasing Welsh employment opportunities for the county’s residents, as well as encourage young people to stay within or return to the county.

Employment Opportunities
Traditionally, employment activity within the county has been centred around the industries of coal mining, metal processing, manufacturing and agriculture. Although Carmarthenshire is home to 17% of Wales’ total agricultural holdings, the county has embraced change in its employment structure, with opportunities opening in many new areas – such as public sector, education and health related work, and a growing tourism-related sector, including hotels and restaurants.

The county has also embraced new technology sectors and employment opportunities are available in sectors such as media and multimedia. One of the largest employers within these sectors is Tinopolis, formerly Agenda, which is located in Llanelli and is one of the largest independent television and multimedia production companies in Wales.

Figure 1 below highlights the main sectors of employment within Carmarthenshire:

Figure 1: Employee Jobs by Industry, Carmarthenshire 2000

Tourism
Carmarthenshire is steeped in history, and is home to a broad range of activities and cultural opportunities; from Welsh and Norman castles to market towns and museums such as the Welsh Woollen Industry. It is unsurprising that Carmarthenshire, with its 20 miles of sandy beaches, Cefn Sidan Sands and Pembrey Country Park, is attracting increasing numbers of tourism-related employment activity. Carmarthenshire also boasts an unparalleled collection of beautiful gardens, including the National Botanic Garden of Wales and Aberglasney Gardens. Despite the recent problems encountered by the National Botanic Garden of Wales its contribution in earning the county its reputation as the ‘Garden of Wales’ remains unchallenged. Carmarthenshire is also home to the National Wetlands Centre Wales, which is at the forefront of wetland conservation in Wales.

One of the county’s newest tourist destinations, the Millennium Coastal Park, is the result of the transformation of 22km of industrial and derelict coastal plain into a sustainable tourist attraction. The park has already generated a great deal of enthusiasm amongst tourists and is expected to attract a million visitors each year.

In September 2003, Llanelly House reached the finals of the BBC’s Restoration programme. Despite not winning the final vote, there are still plans to restore Llanelly House, Wales’ oldest townhouse, which is likely to become the focus of major regeneration plans for Llanelli itself. The planned £5m bid to get steam trains back into Carmarthen will also, if successful, prove to be a significant tourist attraction for the area, and will bring a number of additional jobs, including additional shops, a cafeteria and a coach park.

Small Business
Carmarthenshire has lower than average unemployment rates, and is characterised by a very high number of small firms, with many employing less than 10 people. This reflects the wide range of growing opportunities for new and innovative small businesses within the region. The National Assembly for Wales and WDA sponsored £100m Broadband initiative will strengthen these opportunities, offering scope for a full range of e-commerce activities making Carmarthenshire an attractive location for growing a new venture.

Future Employment Opportunities
Sector forecasts anticipate that in the future, Carmarthenshire employment will increasingly revolve around the well-paid sectors of professional occupations, such as managers, administrators, doctors, engineers and technicians. The personal services, such as care workers, and retail and construction industries are also set to rise, with current plans by the Council to invest some £450m in the region assisting in creating high quality, well-paid jobs.

Initiatives, Schemes and Opportunities
Together with the growing opportunities in new sectors such as tourism, Carmarthenshire is also to benefit from a £230m rural regeneration programme, announced during the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show (July 2003). The Carmarthenshire scheme, announced by Wales Regeneration Minister Edwina Hart, will create an additional 2,500 jobs, and safeguard a further 500 within the county. Key initiatives include £10m for a food park at Cross Hands, and £5.8m of grants to support environmental enhancement, town improvements and building conversions within the area. These developments signal a diversifying and growing economy, which will bring new and innovative employment and leisure activity to the county.

Education
In terms of education, Carmarthenshire has a strong track record, and outperforms the Welsh average in many areas, including GCSE attainment. The proportion of residents with degrees also compares well with the Wales average, and is supported by the number of higher and further education institutions in the area, including Coleg y Drindod, Coleg Sir Gâr, and Universities of Wales, Aberystwyth and Lampeter.

Quality of Life
A low population density, coupled with high levels of diversity in cultural and leisure activity, make Carmarthenshire an attractive county in which to reside. With increasing investment in the creation of quality jobs, and planned tourism developments such as a golf course and racetrack in the region, Carmarthenshire is diversifying its economy, offering opportunities for harnessing new skills in its new professions and opportunities.

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