Over 50 apprenticeship posts have been set up in museums through the partnership between MLA and Creative & Cultural Skills.
The 56 posts have been created in local authority, independent and some national museums up and down the country with employers from large and small organisations and in both urban and rural areas.
Over the past two years, MLA and Creative & Cultural Skills have been working in partnership to develop apprenticeship posts in museums, and to use outcomes from the scheme to understand the value of these posts for the sector.
Museums such as Tate Liverpool, Ryedale Folk Museum, Orleans House Gallery, Richmond, London and Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum benefit from new sets of skills and capacity, coupled with a fresh perspective that apprentices bring. There are also opportunities to train staff in line with job needs; forge stronger links with local communities; and help to change the culture of the organisation itself and the way it is seen by the public.
For apprentices, the scheme not only gives access to employment, but also provides a qualification, which many did not previously have. Through formal training, they develop knowledge and understanding of the creative and cultural sector and of how businesses operate. Through employment with their museum host, they develop knowledge and skills in setting up projects and events, working with others, recording and storing information, financial systems and health and safety.
Feedback from both museum employers and from apprentices themselves has provided evidence of the impact which the scheme is having on the ground.
One young apprentice said:"Words can't really describe the doors you have opened for my future, in employment and in life. I dearly thank each of you for contributing to my experience, with and without knowing. I feel I am leaving as a completely different person with new found interests, achievements and knowledge."
An employer museum said: "There is a positive impact on organisational change and the perception of the museum from the communities we serve with new thinking and ways of doing things."
MLA and Creative & Cultural Skills have provided museums with guidance and support on setting up these posts, recruiting and ensuring that their apprentice receives support whilst in post. MLA has also been able to provide a contribution to the wage costs of each apprentice.
The Creative Apprentice Scheme has been developed by Creative & Cultural Skills in conjunction with employers, to ensure both they and their apprentice benefit.
For further information about the scheme, case studies and guidance, contact:
Jessica Harris, MLA: Jessica.harris@mla.gov.uk and Jennie Godsalve, Creative & Cultural Skills: jennie.godsalve@ccskills.org.uk