People will need to be able to speak at least a "courtesy" level of Welsh in order to work for the Welsh Government in the future.
Welsh Government employees will also have to demonstrate "language awareness"— which includes an appreciation of the importance of the Welsh language in society, and an "awareness of what is required to provide bilingual customer service".
The Welsh Government has said that job adverts will no longer say "no Welsh language skills are required" as this "no longer reflects the requirements or ethos of the organisation"
Candidates for jobs will be expected to demonstrate the skills either on appointment or within six months of recruitment.
The Welsh Government's Cymraeg 2050 plan states that "all posts advertised by the Welsh Government will require candidates to demonstrate at least a basic “Courtesy” level of Welsh language skills within an agreed timeframe. Candidates will be expected to evidence those skills either on appointment or within an agreed and appropriate timeframe during their probationary period (usually within 6 months of starting in post)."
'Courtesy-level' Welsh is defined as an ability to:
Pronounce Welsh-language words, names, place names and terms
Answer the phone bilingually, greet people or make introductions bilingually
Understand and use proactively everyday expressions and simple key words
Read and understand short texts providing basic information, for example in correspondence, or to interpret the content using technology
Demonstrate language awareness - which includes an appreciation of the importance of the language in society and an awareness of what is required to provide bilingual customer service