Digital

Many museums work with universities but have you tried a partnership with a further education college? We are collaborating with Exeter College in its pilot of T-levels, a technical training programme being rolled out in England next year. We provided two students with industry placements, a vital component of the T-level, a qualification that will sit alongside apprenticeships and A-levels within a reformed skills training system.

Our experience of providing placements was positive. One student used the digital image manipulation skills gained on an IT Systems and Networks Level 3 course to work on content for a touchscreen. We gave him practical workplace experience in return. He also had a specific piece of work to reference in job applications.

The second placement has started and we are focusing on digital collections, including data, image editing, content creation and web publishing. Industry placements cover 45 days of work experience, so are long enough to give the student a taste of wider museum work. This qualification allows the museum to benefit from the digital skills of the students and, in return, we nurture future talent for the sector.