What this outcome means

If your project is a success, then individuals will have gained the relevant skills to make sure that heritage is better looked after, managed, understood or shared. This might include conservation, teaching or training, maintenance, digital and project management skills.

Structured activities could include:

• a mentoring programme
• on-the-job training
• paid training placements
• taking on an apprentice
• training sessions for volunteers
• external short courses 

Activities might take place online or face to face, or as a mixture of these.

What we are looking for

People involved in your project, including staff, apprentices, trainees and volunteers, will be able to demonstrate competence in new, specific skills. Where appropriate, they will have gained a formal qualification or will have been supported into employment in the heritage sector.

We want to see a wider range of people involved in heritage through the creation of more inclusive training, entry level employment and progression opportunities.

Things to consider

• Be ambitious: funding skills-development can contribute to everything. For example, the local economy, sector resilience, condition of heritage and people’s wellbeing.
• Skills needs and shortages: skills and training activity need to address an identified skills shortage - a recognised absence – for the project, in the organisation or the heritage workforce in general.
• Whose skills?: use the opportunity to up-skill and develop existing staff, volunteers, trustees or to create new apprenticeships, trainee or pre-employment opportunities.
• Many ways: high quality, structured training, such as apprenticeships, on the job or in-house training, short courses, accredited qualifications and paid traineeships are all effective ways of developing skills.
• Training for all: create more inclusive training activities involving people who are not already well-represented in your workforce or in heritage. It could include entry-level employment and skill-sharing opportunities.
• Develop young people: research has shown that there is still work to be done in promoting heritage careers to young people. Create opportunities to develop employability skills and signpost career opportunities. This can add value to projects and support local young people to engage with heritage in a different way.
• Plan time and resources: effective training needs to be well-structured and planned. Do not under-estimate the time and resources needed to commission trainers, develop new courses, training opportunities or effective partnerships, or to supervise and support new recruits.
• Partnerships: identify training providers who can support everyone’s needs. There may be other organisations with similar needs that you can partner with to commission support.
• Measure the impact: use baseline data about the trainees to measure the impact of the training intervention. Use methods such as self-assessment, work diaries or portfolios to monitor how the training impacts individuals. Also capture the impact on your organisation.
• Bigger grant, bigger impact: grants over £250,000 should demonstrate how the project will enhance the capacity of the heritage industry to deliver sustainable training, and how the activities will provide clear career pathways.

Digital project example

The Great Grimsby Ice Factory Trust is demonstrating commitment to embedding digital skills throughout the organisation. It is exploring options on how to best combine history, community engagement, commercial opportunities and an ambitious vision for the area.

The project will work with experts to explore different digital technologies. Volunteers will be trained and share their skills with new members, building knowledge around the capabilities of digital technology among trustees and volunteers.

Further information

• Good Practice Guidance: skills and training
• explore our Digital Skills for Heritage initiative