As museums, libraries and archives feel the impact of budgets cuts, freezes and efficiency savings; more imaginative thinking is needed to ensure that the sector emerges with trained, developed and energised staff serving the needs of users.
Sustainability and effectiveness for the sector are central to Creating Capacity for Museums Libraries and Archives to whom MLA London transferred its training programme on 1 April 2010. Creating Capacity is a social enterprise managed by Hopkins Van Mil, endorsed by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA)and supported by Renaissance London. It delivers high quality learning programmes to ensure the training needs of the sector are sustained for the long-term.
Supporting museum, archive and library professionals on their learning journey is at the core of Creating Capacity's offer. They have built on MLA London's Training Programme to develop packages of learning for community engagement, volunteer management, the digital agenda, collections care, marketing, advocacy and fundraising and other themes. Over a year participants can build up a portfolio of experience tailored to their current roles and long-term development. It gives reassurance to employers that their staff are developing skills which are exactly right for the current climate and the needs of service users.
MLA Regional Manager Richard Sved said, "We are delighted that MLA London's highly regarded Workforce Development Training Programme has been transferred to Creating Capacity to support the continuing need for more high quality, affordable training opportunities across museums, libraries, archives in London and beyond. We are pleased that the training programme will continue to deliver events that inspire the sector, offering professional development opportunities tailored for a tough public spending environment."
Creating Capacity's team of around 15 trainers has long experience in the museums, libraries and archives sector and provide interactive courses which develop confidence, plenty of time to learn and share with peers, and allow participants to hit the ground running when they get back to their desks. Their programme is developed with the support of the Creating Capacity's User Panel - a group of 15 museum, library and archive professionals who on a voluntary basis work act as critical friends and advisers to the in-house team.
The programme until 31 March 2011 is available for booking now at www.creatingcapacity.org
Courses coming up in September and October are as follows:
- Connecting to new communities - 9 Sep - Church Street Library
- Conservation for the uninitiated - 21 Sep - LAARC
- Introduction to marketing - 23 Sep - Jewish Museum
- EYFS in museums - 28 Sep - Jewish Museum
- Introduction to fundraising - 30 Sep - YMCA, Portland Place
- Copyright Essentials - 01 Oct - YMCA, Portland Place
- Digital records preservation - 06 Oct - Happy Computers
- Inclusive Services: looked-after children - 07 Oct - Jewish Museum
- Managing teams - 08 Oct - Jewish Museum
- Community engagement: intro - 11 Oct - Church Street Library
- Advocating your service - 14 Oct - Jewish Museum
- Beginners guide to archives - 19 Oct - YMCA, Portland Place
- Volunteer management: intro - 21 Oct - YMCA, Portland Place