The centre should be open by 2005

Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin (MYM) is set to move its national headquarters from Cardiff to Aberystwyth by 2005.

The new integrated centre will offer places for 105 children of pre-school age and will provide 66 jobs, as well as 30 posts during the building work.

The �3m scheme, based at Boulevard St Brieuc near the town's police station, was launched on Monday by Welsh Education Minister Jane Davidson.

This new centre will not only stop people moving to Cardiff but will also attract people from this area back from the capita Cyril Hughes, MYM

Hywel Jones, MYM's chief executive, said: "The new centre will be able to offer early years care and education.

"It will also enable MYM to completely change the way that training for Welsh speakers in our organisation take place."

Wider remit

More than �800,000 of the project costs has been financed by the assembly government.

Ms Davidson said: "MYM plays an important role in developing the Welsh language and to introduce it to children across Wales.

Other contributions to the project include �892,345 of European Objective 1 money and �600,000 from the Welsh Development Agency.

Cyril Hughes, MYM's secretary, said the new centre also had a wider remit.

"We need to devolve institutions away from Cardiff so that Welsh speakers from Ceredigion can access jobs in their own communities," he said.

"This new centre will not only stop people moving to Cardiff but will also attract people from this area back from the capital."