Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Skills for the Future programme, Opening Up Scotland’s Archives aimed to improve skills and develop the Scottish archives sector.
In partnership with archives across Scotland, between 2014 and 2017 we co-ordinated 18 paid, work-based traineeships. Trainees spent a year working in high profile collections, on real-life projects, whilst learning new skills. They helped to bring the past to life for new audiences and ensure our documented national memory remains accessible to future generations.
Trainees benefited from an annual bursary, mentoring and working on a range of exciting projects – including outreach and community engagement, digital preservation, collections development and traditional archive skills – which enabled them to develop a variety of skills they can take with them to future career and training opportunities.