St David’s Cardiff launches ‘Made in Cardiff’ initiative, equipping young people with employable skills

St David’s Cardiff has launched its new enterprise challenge, Made in Cardiff, with Cardiff West Community High School and Bro Edern taking part.

The ‘Made in Cardiff’ challenge focuses on teaching skills like critical thinking, leadership and effective teamwork, and invites participants to think about how they could reimagine parts of the shopping centre for the benefit of the Cardiff community and guests. Students spent time learning about the retail and real estate industry, taking part in three workshops focused on: placemaking; customer insights and guest experience; and sustainability, community and responsible consumerism.

The teams will then be invited to share what they have learnt about the retail industry with an expert panel, applying the principles gained during the workshops. Presentations will cover what goes into creating a sustainable retail space, from establishing a concept, understanding key audiences, to how spaces are designed and marketed. The final presentations will include example social media content, mood boards and customer research.

‘Made in Cardiff’ looks to highlight the pivotal role that the younger generation can play in shaping the retail landscape as a dynamic force for positive change within communities. The challenge encourages young people not only to envision innovative retail spaces, but also to consider the broader impact retail space has on the local community. In recent years, physical retail space has become more about experiences than ever before, with shopping centres developing into social hubs that strengthen their communities.

The school engagement project is a joint venture between St David’s Cardiff, its parent company Landsec, and Ahead Partnership, and is funded by the Landsec Futures Fund. The recently launched £20m social impact fund is dedicated to enhancing social value in the communities it serves. With the launch of this challenge, 30 Cardiff-based students will be positively impacted by the Landsec Futures Fund.

Helen Morgan, Centre Director at St David’s Cardiff, said: “Working with Ahead Partnership, who have already supported over 10,000 young people through their continued partnership with Landsec, helps us ensure that the work we’re doing has a tangible impact within our local community. Through the ‘Made in Cardiff’ initiative, individuals are also building self-confidence and skills to help them develop their own career paths.”

Georgina Johnson, Programme Manager at Ahead Partnership, said: “We’re delighted to be delivering the first-ever ‘Made in Cardiff’ challenge. The feedback we received from previous groups of participants across the country demonstrates the importance of giving young people the opportunity to learn directly from employers. We’re so grateful to the team at St David’s for committing their time, wisdom, and skills to support young people in their community with this interactive and creative challenge.

“It’s especially important that we give young people opportunities to visit and experience workplaces so that they can face the future with more confidence.”

For more information, please visit https://stdavidscardiff.com/