Over the past 18 months, I have been part of the Museums Association's (MA) Diversify management-level trainee programme based in Birmingham. How has my experience been? It's been different.
I didn't realise that Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery (BMAG) was so big. The organisation has two buildings in the centre of Birmingham, and six other museums across the city. So my first month was spent getting to grips with meeting the different managers that covered all our service areas.
The colleagues I talked to didn't treat me as a nobody, and I was made to feel like one of them. Yes, I had the occasional question, such as a middle-aged museum professional who asked: "What is your degree in?" I was surprised, because I thought my fantastic transferable skills stood out.
I felt like someone at Birmingham Caribbean carnival who was asked: "Are you into Bob Marley?" One of the aims of the management-level traineeship was to show that you can bring in staff with expertise and skills from the outside.
Planning a private view, for example, comes down to project and event management skills - you don't need a museum studies qualification or even an academic qualification to be able to do it. The same applies to operational delivery of a service - you don't need a qualification in museum studies to be able to do it, but I have seen application forms for jobs asking for a postgraduate qualification.
My management-level traineeship was one of the very first and I wanted to make an impact. I wanted to be the person that did that blockbuster exhibition that got our visitor numbers going sky high.
That didn't happen, but I did make some contributions that have started the ball rolling, letting the world know about us. I have contributed to the BMAG China Festival and supported the overall exhibition programme.
What I enjoyed were the opportunities for me to develop as a potential manager in the sector, and the courses and the seminars that were available. The support I had from the MA, BMAG and my mentor was invaluable. If there was something I was concerned about there was someone I could talk to.
What has also been good is that I am paving the way for similar types of traineeships, not just for ethnicity but also disability. There is a need to change our workforce to reflect the people that visit our museums. My traineeship shows that you can enter the profession from the outside, do things differently, and take risks.
Would I like still to work in museums at the end of my traineeship? Yes, I would. I have found my learning experience here at Birmingham invaluable, and I feel I have found my niche.
Paulette Francis-Green is one of the first of the Museums Association's Diversify management-level trainees
I didn't realise that Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery (BMAG) was so big. The organisation has two buildings in the centre of Birmingham, and six other museums across the city. So my first month was spent getting to grips with meeting the different managers that covered all our service areas.
The colleagues I talked to didn't treat me as a nobody, and I was made to feel like one of them. Yes, I had the occasional question, such as a middle-aged museum professional who asked: "What is your degree in?" I was surprised, because I thought my fantastic transferable skills stood out.
I felt like someone at Birmingham Caribbean carnival who was asked: "Are you into Bob Marley?" One of the aims of the management-level traineeship was to show that you can bring in staff with expertise and skills from the outside.
Planning a private view, for example, comes down to project and event management skills - you don't need a museum studies qualification or even an academic qualification to be able to do it. The same applies to operational delivery of a service - you don't need a qualification in museum studies to be able to do it, but I have seen application forms for jobs asking for a postgraduate qualification.
My management-level traineeship was one of the very first and I wanted to make an impact. I wanted to be the person that did that blockbuster exhibition that got our visitor numbers going sky high.
That didn't happen, but I did make some contributions that have started the ball rolling, letting the world know about us. I have contributed to the BMAG China Festival and supported the overall exhibition programme.
What I enjoyed were the opportunities for me to develop as a potential manager in the sector, and the courses and the seminars that were available. The support I had from the MA, BMAG and my mentor was invaluable. If there was something I was concerned about there was someone I could talk to.
What has also been good is that I am paving the way for similar types of traineeships, not just for ethnicity but also disability. There is a need to change our workforce to reflect the people that visit our museums. My traineeship shows that you can enter the profession from the outside, do things differently, and take risks.
Would I like still to work in museums at the end of my traineeship? Yes, I would. I have found my learning experience here at Birmingham invaluable, and I feel I have found my niche.
Paulette Francis-Green is one of the first of the Museums Association's Diversify management-level trainees
