SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE GRANT
£350,000 to National Museums Liverpool partnership
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded a £350,000 to National Museums Liverpool and the North West Fed museums group to give 12 trainees a chance to learn about heritage conservation and audience development.
The money, awarded under HLF’s Skills for the Future programme*, will train the new recruits over a four-year period as well as training existing staff at three heritage-based organisations to become NVQ and Conservation Technician Qualification assessors.
This is a recognised skill shortage area in the North West of England and the project is being delivered by National Museums Liverpool and North West Fed which supports the region’s museums and galleries.
Six people will be trained by National Museums Liverpool and the other six at Manchester Museum, Salford Museum & Art Gallery and Towneley Hall, Burnley.
Trainees learn how to:
- Engage hard-to-reach audiences who may never visit museums and art galleries.
- Plan and deliver audience development activities for different groups including Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, disabled people, families, children, young people, adults and older people.
- Provide information and advice on venues and collections to the public.
- Give guided tours for visitors.
Alyson Young, National Museums Liverpool’s training and development officer, says: “This award enables us to expand our work while helping existing staff build on their skills. It helps us reach every section of the community.”
Trainees will look at conservation techniques at Liverpool’s National Conservation Centre with the Institute of Conservation as a key partner.
Recruiting through local communities starts in November 2010 with placements – each lasting two years – beginning in 2011
