Workforce for the Future: Primary Schools

Building upon the previous success of a Culture and Diversity Schools Pilot Project, the Workforce for the Future Project, funded by Art Fund looks to not only increase the reach across Scotland but also to continue to advocate for and support a collaborative and partnership approach between Museums, Schools and Developing the Young Workforce (DYW).  The aim is to deliver the project to 21 more council areas over a 3 year period, thereby ensuring increased visibility of this way of working. Delivering in every different ‘Place’ across Scotland will further embed impact on a national scale.

Each project will be delivered to schools in areas of lower Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) and supports a tailored approach whereby the partners involved, the museum, school and DYW work together to provide young people with the opportunity to learn more about how local history is shared, whilst exploring the museum as a workplace, including looking at the various skills that are used and developed when working in a museum.

Those taking part will develop their own employability skills, learn about the diversity of job roles in the sector and increase in confidence and creativity, whilst Museums will be seen as desirable places to work and visit.  Further useful resources will be created either specific to the individual museum collection or more generally regarding the museum sector as a workplace.  These will be made available on our website.

This project aims to achieve:

• Young people will develop employability skills, increase in confidence, and broaden their understanding of the museum sector as a workplace.
• Museums will build relationships with local schools and their communities, breaking down barriers and therefore widening participation and enhancing placemaking.
• Museums across all of Scotland will be able to see the positive impact of this partnership working model and be able to access resources to work more collaboratively with external partners themselves.
• The heritage, culture and creative sector will be seen as desirable to work in, thus boosting the appeal of museums as employers and therefore diversifying the workforce pipeline.

Workforce for the Future supports the partnership between a museum or gallery, DYW and a local school.

Having already completed Year 1 of a 3 year project, we have already worked with:

• City Art Centre
• David Livingstone Birthplace Museum
• Scottish Football Museum
• Paxton House
• Aberdeen Art Gallery
• Denny Ship Model Experiment Tank
• The Black Watch Castle and Museum
• Stromness Museum
• The University of Stirling Art Collection

Over the next 2 years, we will be working with a museum and a primary school from 16 more different council areas and will update this page as we confirm our museum partners.

Read more about the benefits of taking part in Workforce for the Future, as well as learning more about the successes and challenges involved.

For more support and to run your own partnership project please get in touch to discuss.  The Museums for the Future Toolkit is also available, providing sessions, including an introduction videos and pre-prepared worksheets to help guide pupils through certain activities.

If you require more information about the Workforce for The Future projects or any of this ongoing work, please get in touch with Frankie Bradley, Skills Development Officer, or Markus Offer, Skills Development Manager.