Hello! I’m Cedron Sion from Porthmadog in North Wales. I’ve been a member of the Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) workforce since February of this year, serving as a translator.
Cedron Sion
I began my journey with HEIW via a translation practice apprenticeship post (NVQ Level 4 – Agored Cymru) offered in conjunction with Gower College, Swansea.
I’ve recently had the opportunity to progress on to a full-time role but I’ve been given the scope to continue following the apprenticeship units alongside my daily job in order to gain the qualification in due course. I must admit that I’ve enjoyed working as part of the Authority from the outset; the nature of the work is varied, extremely interesting and educational.
Seven months on and I have a greater understanding of the various jobs and professions available within NHS Wales and of medical terminology than I’ve ever had before. As translators within HEIW we are in fact in a privileged place having the opportunity to foster an awareness and recognition of a wide range of areas associated with several departments such as the Nursing Directorate, Pharmacy, Dentistry and the Medical Department – which is responsible for the training programmes of a range of specialisms.
I’m delighted to be able to work through the medium of Welsh and to contribute, both directly and indirectly, to its promotion internally and throughout the Health Service in Wales. There’s a healthy and encouraging ethos belonging to the HEIW working environment in terms of the Welsh language and from a people’s perspective and the value of the individual as part of a larger/wider unit.
I also enjoy undertaking the apprenticeship units and, in doing so, learning a lot about the essence of the translation profession and the many layers that exist within it in moral, linguistic, legal and socio-cultural contexts.
As a member of a small and close translation department within the Authority, as part of the Welsh Language Services Team – I am very proud of the valuable work that continues to be done to promote the language and the myriad of career opportunities available through its medium.
I look forward to the department growing and evolving and to witness the Welsh language becoming an increasing part of the lives of NHS Wales staff and the wider population – in their workplaces, households and communities.