Speaking at today’s Association of Independent Museums (AIM) Conference in Edinburgh, HLF Chair Sir Peter Luff stressed HLF’s commitment to addressing skills shortages and removing barriers to employment. He said: “In order to thrive, our heritage needs ongoing investment in training - and a heritage workforce that reflects our population. The Skills for the Future programme puts novices together with experts, helping them learn on the job.  Our grants will ensure trainees are paid – so they can get the best possible experience to set them up for a new career in heritage.”

From call centre to curator

Samantha Bannerman, a Skills for the Future success story who now works as a curator at the St Andrews Preservation Trust Museum in Fife, said: "The Skills for the Future programme is great - especially for getting people who could not otherwise get into the sector on the first rung of the ladder."

[quote=Sir Peter Luff, Chair of HLF]"Skills for the Future puts novices together with experts, helping them learn on the job."[/quote]

The launch of a third round of Skills for the Future is a key HLF contribution to the Government’s Culture White Paper. Designed to encourage the sector to recruit from a wider pool of talent, grants will help organisations draw in expertise and recruit in new ways.

Now open for applications

Further details of Skills for the Future, which opens for applications today, can be found on the programme page.  The deadline for applications is noon on Thursday 13 October 2016.  Decisions will be made in February 2017.