Further rise in A Level results for Cardiff’s biggest Sixth form


Power to the people - first UK consumers connnect to customer owned energy firm


Building on the success of last year, St David’s Catholic College has delivered yet another rise in A level results for its students. There was a 4% increase in A* to A grades, a 4% increase at A* to B and 7% increase from A* to C. Three students have met their Oxbridge offers: Bethan James, Christy Nganjim, Anna Wright. In the college’s Honours Programme for gifted and talented students, an


impressive 66% of students achieved an A* to A grade and 89% achieved A* to B. A Word from the Principal “We are exceptionally proud of all that our students have achieved this year, and that results have once again improved. We are confident that with these results and the many other skills that they have developed during their time at St David’s, they are well prepared to face the challenges and opportunities of the future.”


“Focus on options not expectations” the message from Careers Wales to Cardiff pupils


A couple whose crowdfunding bid raised nearly half a million pounds to take on the ‘Big Six’ energy firms with an alternative, ethical, customer-owned energy company have launched to the market and pre-registered more than 4,500 customers. Over the coming week new users will begin to receive gas and electricity from People’s Energy across the UK as the company begins trading. David Pike, 53, and Karin Sode, 47, became so fed up with existing UK energy firms that they decided to do something about it. Over the past year they have raised funds, secured an OFGEM license, won an entrepreneurial and innovation award, and built a team from their base in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh. They are now open for business and available to sign-up new customers for energy supplies.


Their vision is to put one million people in charge of their own energy by 2024, and provide an alternative for customers who have lost trust in energy suppliers. People’s Energy gives 75% of profits back to its customers, who are represented on the board of directors. People’s Energy will share salaries, decisions, accounts and prices with customers, becoming the first completely transparent and


Careers Wales is helping young people in Cardiff understand their options as hundreds of pupils have now received A-level and GCSE results.


In collaboration with Welsh Government, the careers advice body is running a Where Now? campaign to raise awareness of the options for pupils after results days.


Data released by the careers body shows that, in 2016, 63.75% year 13 school leavers from Cardiff progressed to university – higher than the Welsh average of 62% - and 10.07% went into work-based training or other employment. The careers body’s Destination of School Leavers 2016 report - which surveyed around 60,000 year 11, 12 and 13 pupils across Wales – also shows that 51.5% Cardiff pupils opted for school after Year 11, compared with 34.3% who chose college.


The picture across Wales shows that, for the first time since 2012, progressing to college was the more popular choice for those leaving Year 11 than school (51% versus 49% - a 3.8 percentage point swing from 2015).


Alongside the Where Now? campaign, help and advice will be delivered through Careers Wales’ live webinars/web chats, social media chats, Skype support, support sessions at dedicated career centres and through its helpline phone service (0800 028 4844).


Graham Bowd, chief executive at Careers Wales, said: “It’s a tense time of year for many young people and their parents across the country, but our


message is not to panic; focus on options not expectations. There are more options than ever for young people and our advisors are on-hand to offer bespoke advice to anyone needing support. “Whether you’re considering going straight into work, are confused about staying on at sixth-form or going to college, are weighing up university options, or simply wondering how best to spend a year out, we should be the first port of call.


“Our specialist advisers have access to up-to-date labour market information on all sectors of industry, so are well-placed to advise people on where to go next with their future education or career.” Minister for Skills and Science, Julie James, said: “This is such an important time and I wish them all the best as they make important


decisions about


their futures. It’s normal to feel slightly overwhelmed after picking up exam results, and we want to make sure it’s as easy as possible to find out about all the options available to young people in Wales.


“Where Now?’ helps to ensure parity of esteem between traditional academic routes and vocational skills training to ensure young people are better informed about their options.


The Careers Wales helpline is available on 0800 028 4844 Monday-Friday, 9am- 6pm The web chat service is available at www.careerswales.com. Careers Wales can also be found at @CareersWales on Twitter and Careers Wales on Facebook and Instagram.


22 - Friday 1st September 2017 – Cardiff & South Wales Advertiser


customer-focused UK energy company in the UK, with only one simple tariff and 100% renewable electricity. David Pike said: “We want to create not just a different kind of energy company, but an entirely different approach to services that put people squarely at the centre. Energy belongs to no one, we all need this resource, and all should benefit from it, not just a few greedy shareholders. We’ve had a fantastic response from customers and industry players pre-launch, and now that we have the foundations in place we’re ready to go.”


Karin Sode added: “We offer customers a genuine opportunity to shape the direction of the company, and unlike others in our industry the customer will be at the heart of everything we do – in actions, not just words. That’s why we offer transparency and share the profits. We believe that people have the right to be treated with respect, as owners of their own energy and of the company. We are seeing people recommending this approach to others, and the pre- registrations have been rolling in! We have big plans and are excited to be offering something very different to the market.”


Consumers can sign up to People’s Energy https://peoplesenergy.co.uk/


Traveline Cymru customers in Cardiff are happiest yet


TRAVELINE CYMRU customers in Cardiff are the happiest they’ve ever been as it celebrates another year of record- breaking customer satisfaction.


Satisfaction levels across all of the transport information service’s platforms - contact centre, website and app - have risen again this year in its latest survey. According to the latest report, developed by independent research and planning consultancy Wright Research, customers who use Traveline Cymru’s contact centre are the most satisfied achieving a nearly perfect score. 99% of contact centre users surveyed were ‘very/quite satisfied’ with the service they received, up from 97% in 2016 and 99% said they would use the service again.


Coming in above the UK


Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI)’s national average customer


satisfaction level of 77.8, satisfaction levels in its website rank at 83%. While the biggest improvement is from customers who use Traveline Cymru’s app seeing satisfaction levels jump from 81% in 2016 to 87% in 2017. The key drivers of satisfaction are customers getting the information they require in an easy and efficient manner, with the majority using its platforms to access journey planning and bus times.


The positive results come


as the UKCSI, a national measure of customer satisfaction, report that customer satisfaction has increased in every part of the UK except Wales, where it has fallen by one point from the top spot. Traveline Cymru is a not- for-profit company based on a partnership between the Welsh Government, public transport operators in Wales and Welsh local authorities. It provides route and timetable information for all bus, coach and rail services in the country via a bilingual website, a Freephone number and a suite of services for mobile phone users.


To advertise your business in the Classified Section, call Margaret on 01685 382300


C& SW


Advertiser www.cardiffandsouthwalesadvertiser.com


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