A Case Study: traineeships

Positive Action Traineeships, PATH and Scottish Museums Council





Summary



Positive action traineeships help to mainstream diversity within a company or sector through recruitment of under-represented groups.





Action Points



Fixed term trainee contracts for under-represented groups can be combined with breadth of work experience linked to learning outcomes of accredited academic training.



Funding of salaries, travel costs, study fees, and professional membership fees through sponsorship by training programme partners – government agencies, universities, employers, diversity charities - can result in financial savings to employers.



Lessons

This type of programme is more successful if it’s part of a comprehensive and properly resourced strategy to attract and retain under-represented sections of the community.



Clarity of respective management roles in relation to sponsorship, workplace day-to-day management, and mentor and is essential to job satisfaction. Requires investment in time of partners to establish schemes that work.





Links



PATH National Traineeships

http://www.pathuk.co.uk/our_services/traineeships.asp



PATH Scotland offers positive action housing traineeships along with fast-track social work training funded by the Scottish Government

http://www.pathscotland.org/



Fast track training in social work for under-represented groups: Hooks and Anchors: Recruitment & Retention for the Scottish Social Services. Report on Social Work Graduate Fast Track Scheme. Evaluation Report 2006

Executive Summary.

http://www.iriss.ac.uk/files/FTEvaluationSummaryReport.pdf



For further information contact Museums Galleries Scotland: http://www.scottishmuseums.org.uk/areas_of_work/workforce_development/ensure_diversity/ensurediversityintro.asp



Museums Association Diversify Scheme – entry and management level traineeships and bursary programme: http://www.museumsassociation.org/diversify





For further information on similar initiatives contact:



Skills for Care and Development: http://www.skillsforcareanddevelopment.org.uk/view.aspx?id=15





Creative and Cultural Skills

http://www.ccskills.org.uk/index.asp



Description



Mainstreaming diversity has been promoted through positive action traineeships targeting ethnic minorities by PATH and The Scottish Museums Council (SMC) through government funding matched by academic and employer sponsorships.



PATH National traineeships aim to increase the representation of Black and Minority ethnic groups in professions and managerial positions, to ensure that they broadly reflect the communities they intend to serve. The rigorous selection processes involved combined with academic input, and mentoring support result in high calibre graduates.



The traineeship programme places on the job market, empowered individuals with sufficient experience, qualifications, skills, personal attributes and abilities to meet the requirements of employers for the job in which they have been trained.

PATH trainees are recruited from black and ethnic minority communities following rigorous selection procedures, and are placed with employers to gain on-the-job experience, whilst attaining a professional accredited qualification. Traineeships are an excellent means of filling vacant posts and addressing skills shortages in the workforce, as well as being cost-effective as employers are not subject to paying National Insurance or Tax, and in some cases government subsidies are available.



The Scottish Museums Council (SMC) has promoted positive action trusteeships within the local government museums sector in Scotland. The aim is to mainstream diversity through targeted government funding matched by academic and employer sponsorships of positive action traineeships. It is affiliated to the Diversify Scheme developed by the Museums Association.



In 2005 SMC part funded two two-year traineeships in conjunction with Culture and Sport Glasgow, Edinburgh City Council Museums, St. Andrews University, and the Black Environment Network (BEN). Salary and management costs were provided by Local Authorities, with £2K uplift paid by SMC plus travel costs with travel top up by BEN, and reduction of fees by St. Andrews University. Trainees also were given membership of the Museums Association which gave them access to its support network and annual conference and off-shoot events.



The objectives of the traineeships included making museum careers more accessible to people from ethnic minorities, and to raise awareness of diversity issues within the services involved and the wider museums sector.Trainees have four days work experience combined with study days and residential schools.



Results? One of the trainees is now in full time employment within the sector. The trainee programme is now established a one route into employment within Glasgow City Council, and the university of Edinburgh has now introduced an internship programme linked to SVQ. The current incumbent has a Geology degree but is interested in a career move into this sector.