Skills Development Options

Skills Development Options __________________________________________________________________________________ Background This training options pack p...
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Skills Development Options __________________________________________________________________________________

Background This training options pack provides information to illustrate to networks, forums and individual museums how MGS can support them to develop the skills of their paid and volunteer staff. The pack includes a range of information, guidance and ideas for skills development options. As Skills Development Managers, we aim to support a wide range of training provision throughout Scotland. To enhance the training we directly provide, we envisage a range of courses and programmes hosted by museum partnerships which are open to all in order to maximise access to good quality, affordable and relevant training for the Scottish sector. If you would like further information on skills development for your organisation or would like to discuss any of the information in this pack, then please contact the Skills Development Managers at Museums Galleries Scotland: Wendy West [email protected] tel 0131 550 4130 Catherine Cartmell [email protected] tel 0131 550 4131 Further information on skills development can be found on our website: http://www.museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk/how-we-help-museums/skillsdevelopment/

Pack Contents 1. The National Skills Development Programme 2. How can MGS help? 3. How to assess training need 4. Skills Development Fund 5. Overview of Courses 6. Case studies

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1. The National Skills Development Programme (NSDP) NSDP includes MGS’s annual training programme, which offers a range of formal training courses, the hints and tips workshops, as well as information on a range of other training/development opportunities which MGS run in partnership with other organisations e.g. Creative Scotland, Insights and Ideas Café; Museums Association, Monument Fellowships; Interns programme etc This is an evolving, dynamic programme and exists to inform those in the museums sector about all the skills development opportunities available to them in Scotland. We are happy to advertise any events you are organising for staff in the museum sector which are open for others to book on. Please e-mail [email protected]. if you have an activity you would like to be included on the NSDP. Annual Training Programme Historically, on the annual training programme, there have been basic skills courses in collections care, digital, learning, access and so on. This year, however, the range of courses on offer has been broadened to include the training courses developed from the HLF Skills for the Future Interns programme and adapted for the wider sector. The programme this year looks at addressing the business needs of the sector and includes courses on effective leadership, marketing, project management, social media, museums and money. In addition to these courses a few of the more traditional courses also feature in the programme.

2. How can MGS help? The courses that are offered on the annual training programme are limited in number. To reduce costs to our subscribers they are largely hosted at MGS offices in Edinburgh. However, MGS support museums to access training in their local areas in the following ways:

o Hosting a NSDP training course

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If you have a number of staff within your organisation and know of any neighbouring organisations that also require the same training, then we can look at bringing the course to you. If you can supply a venue, we will give you 2 free spaces on the course and we will do all the administration and provide refreshments. There would have to be a guarantee of 6-8 attendees from your organisation and the course would be opened up for general booking and administered as part of the wider NSDP. The course would only run if enough bookings were received to make it viable.

o In-house bespoke Training Programme If the idea of planning and holding a bespoke training programme which suits your needs is appealing then perhaps you would like to consider applying for one of our Investment Streams to help make this a reality? A training programme does not have to consist of formal training sessions but can also feature: •

visits to neighbouring organisations



benchmarking



learning on the job through shadowing and mentoring



team building events for staff and volunteers



skills sharing



action learning sets ... and much more.

For inspiration see the McLean Art Gallery Case Study

o Network/Forum Training Programme Networks/Forums are in an ideal position to support each other with their training needs and there are many examples of good practice including Highlands Museums- Skills Development and Exchange Case Study. The Skills Development Fund has been created to support networks / forums to run their own skills development programmes which meets the collective need and provides

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a range of training options and skills sharing in the local area. Such an application is required to demonstrate that an assessment of the collective training needs has been conducted and shows how the new skills will be embedded. 3. How to assess training needs A Training Needs Analysis is a review of the learning and development requirements for staff, volunteers and trustees/board members. There are many ways that an organisation can assess their training needs. A training needs analysis should consider the skills, knowledge and behaviours of the people in the organisation and how to develop them, both to deliver the organisation’s forward plan and also support the individual’s career progression. Training needs could be simply identified in relation to a project where those involved will need to learn new skills and share knowledge and experiences in order to successfully complete the project. This could be delivered through a training course and supported by shared learning by perhaps visiting a museum who have completed a similar project and sharing progress with colleagues. There are many websites where you can read about Training Needs Analysis and take advantage of downloading toolkits. Here are a few of examples: Skills – Third Sector http://www.skills-thirdsector.org.uk/training_needs_analysis NCVO http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/tna CIPD http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/identifying-learning-talentdevelopment-needs.aspx Creative Skills Set http://www.creativeskillset.org/companies/training/article_5709_1.asp

4. Skills Development Fund The new Skills Development Fund is available to fund projects which will help share and develop the skills and competencies of all parts of the workforce. Summary: •

Applications must come from accredited museums and the majority of museums benefiting from the fund must be accredited



Grants of up to £5000 with a minimum of £1000 are available. Applications for up to £20,000 may be considered, however these must

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demonstrate a larger strategic project with wider impact. You may apply for up to 100% funding. •

The fund is for collaborative / partnership applications i.e. forums, networks, Sector organisations working in collaboration with accredited museums



We will fund all types of skills development and training activities including board development, mentoring, formal training, fact finding visits, skills sharing, shadowing, exchanges, action learning etc.



Projects must complete by 8 March 2015



There will be an open application process i.e. no deadlines. Starting 1st April 2013 until the Fund is fully allocated.



Majority of funding will be paid up front

More information and the application forms can be found on our website

The Skills Development Managers have worked with a large number of training providers and developed a wide range of courses over the years. They can provide support and guidance with developing your skills development activities e.g information about training providers, approximate costs, templates for admin processes etc Please have a look at our blog for an example of our most recent project.

5. Case Studies •

In-house training programme – McLean Museum and Art Gallery



Skills development and exchange - Highlands Museums

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Case Study In-house training programme - McLean Museum and Art Gallery Why is this case study relevant? This project is an example of a museum taking advantage of the opportunity to create a bespoke training programme, set up to suit specific organisational learning and development needs and run within the museum setting. Offering this type of training provision maximised the number of staff from the McLean Museum and Art Gallery who were able to attend courses and further allowed neighbouring organisations the opportunity to take up any surplus places. What were the aims of the project? 1. The training programme aimed to provide the McLean’s front of house staff with opportunities for training and personal development previously denied them because of the logistics of having to travel to courses. Budgets cannot always accommodate the cost of attendance at external courses and the reduction of staffing levels caused by staff members’ absence can be a real barrier to the take up of these courses. 2. Working with the support of MGS to broaden the provision of training for museums and galleries throughout Scotland. What happened? Training and development needs were identified amongst the staff of the McLean Museum and Art Gallery and an appropriate programme was devised based on this. Advice on training providers was supplied by MGS and a programme was created to address the needs of staff. A varied programme consisting of half day and full day courses, visits and workshops was devised. The programme of training included: - Care of Paper and Photographs – Pest Management – Introduction to Costumed Interpretation – Storytelling Workshop – Conservation of oil paintings – Visits to Glasgow Museum Resource Centre and the Burrell Collection. All courses, other than the visits took place at the McLean Museum and Art Gallery and surplus places were offered to neighbouring museums to ensure maximum cost effectiveness. Staff members benefited from the increased knowledge gained, a more stimulating working environment and the chance to meet and network with colleagues

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from both similar and different backgrounds. Training trips to other venues were popular and gave staff a perspective on the McLean’s operation. What was learned? There is a real opportunity for museums to devise an in-house training programme which will draw in attendees from other services in their locale. Judging from the uptake of courses and from comments received it appears that the most popular format for courses is the day long course where the morning session is for those with a prior general knowledge and the afternoon is for more specialist staff to develop topics in depth. This format appealed to both internal staff members and participants from outside. It is clear that if a training topic is of sufficient interest, a good audience can be attracted from quite far afield which will justify the effort and expense of organising the session. What is the wider relevance? This method of training provision not only suits the individual organisations by attending to their specific learning and development needs, but also supplements the provision of training courses offered via the MGS Training Programme. Furthermore this type of training opportunity increases the geographic spread of training provision by holding courses outwith the central belt. With the help and support of MGS, individual museums, like the McLean Museum Museum and Art Gallery can create a training programme which not only directly serves their own needs, but also compliments the content of the training programme offered by MGS. This ultimately widens the range of training on offer in Scotland for Museums and Galleries. How was this project promoted? The courses were primarily promoted via email to a network of potentially interested parties; NMS also advertised their course on their own website What type of evaluation was done? Evaluation forms were completed by participants after the presentations and reports were written after the trips. The training programme was also discussed at staff

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meetings. Two summary reports were submitted to MGS by the completion of the programme. Who else took part? Apart from the staff of the McLean Museum other participants came from a wide geographical area; from Edinburgh and beyond for the National Museums seminar on pest management including Glenfinnan, and from bodies such as Strachur Historical Society, the Castle House, Dunoon, Largs Museum Trust, Renfrewshire Council, West Dunbartonshire Council and South Ayrshire Council for the other courses. For Further Information Contact Valerie Boa, Curator, McLean Museum and Art Gallery at 01475 715624 or [email protected]

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Case Study Highlands Museums - Skills Development and Exchange Why is this case study relevant? This collaborative project allowed for the widespread delivery of training in the Highland museums and is a project that MGS were delighted to support given it fitted with the development of training beyond that of the MGS Training Programme. This project provided MGS supported training delivery beyond the central belt. The training programme was generated to suit the wide ranging learning and development needs of the museums and provided a range of training methods for some 23 Highland Museums. What were the aims of the project? The project aimed to: – Increase the capacity of Highland independent museums by improving the skills of volunteers, staff and board members – Offer high quality training in the Highland area. – Enable independent museums to gain new skills and fresh ideas in local venues. – Encourage museums to share their knowledge and experience with other museums in Highland – Meet the needs expressed by our members regarding provision of training by MGS What happened? In total representatives from 23 Highland museums took part in the training programme. The programme consisted of: Highland Museums Celebration Event – Three Highland independent museums delivered presentations on the highlights and challenges of the previous year. Focusing on the huge volunteer contribution to museums, experimenting with free entry and a failed HLF grant bid! The event also launched the skills exchange project with a presentation from the Co-ordinator and workshop sessions. Introduction/Refresher Museum Board Member Training – Arts and Business delivered the half day seminar which examined the roles and responsibilities of museum board members. Attended by 11 participants representing 5 museums. Open to All Training: Mental Health and Social Inclusion Awareness Training for Museums and Galleries- Led by Jim Campbell and Jenny Pope from Open to All. A 2 day training to raise awareness of issues and support staff to promote social inclusion and work more effectively with people with mental health problems. Attended by 12 participants representing 8 museums. Code of Ethics for Museums – An introduction to museum ethics with an opportunity to explore how the code of ethics relates to real issues. Attended by 15 participants representing 9 museums.

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Skills Exchange Project – 20 museums contributed to the data base and agreed to pass on information by e-mail and telephone. 11 museums offered to pass on their expertise through a presentation at a Forum Meeting and 19 museums offered to host a visit. 7 visits were arranged from October – March. Staff and volunteers from 10 museums participated in visits. The following museums were visited: Caithness Horizons 2 visits (Looking at Education provision and displays generally) Dunbeath Heritage Centre 1 visit (Focusing on Genealogy and visitor experience) Highland Folk Museum 1 visit (Visitor experience) Inverness Museum & Art gallery 1 visit (Teachers’ CPD) Tain Through Time 1 visit (Teachers’ CPD) Timespan 1 visit (Finding out more about the museum’s capital and project development) What was learned? • New and existing board members became more aware of their roles and responsibilities. For example, as a result of the training Board members from one museum are reviewing their Constitution. • Greater awareness of Mental Health issues among volunteers, board members, front of house staff and curators who attended the training session. Front of house staff/volunteers are more aware that personal prejudices may influence how they behave towards visitors. A number of participants have created project plans for outreach projects and events which will aim to be more inclusive. • Museum staff and board members gained a greater understanding of the Code of Ethics for Museums. A number of those taking part, plan to share their understanding of the Code with Board members and ensure the Code is adopted by their Boards. • Museums gain awareness of skills and knowledge available locally New networks of shared interests/skills are currently being set up. Eg: (i) A group of museums are keen to progress an Education/Outreach network. (ii) Sustainability group – the Highland Museums Forum are considering the feasibility of supporting a network/working group for board members and curators/managers involved in making decisions about building management, fund raising and income creation. What is the wider relevance? This method of training provision not only suits the individual organisations by meeting specific learning and development needs, it also supplements the provision of training offered by MGS. Furthermore, the geographic spread of training supported by MGS is

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widened. In this case, the Highland museums were able to attend training which met an expressed need and were also able to exchange experiences and knowledge with likeminded organisations. The learning that has taken place during the training is being shared via networks and groups on an ongoing basis. A real appreciation of the broad range of training methods, eg sharing skills and experiences is now in place amongst the participating museums. How was this project promoted? It was promoted through independent museums support officer email networks and at HMF meetings. Training programme flyer was posted to all Highland independent museums. What type of evaluation was done? The short term impact of the training programme and skills exchange has been measured using evaluation forms, informal feedback and follow up discussions. The longer term impact will be recorded during Service Delivery Agreement monitoring visits. For Further Information For further information Lorna Cruickshank Independent Museums Support Officer Education Culture and Sport Service Castle Street Dingwall IV15 9QN Tel. 01349 868206 Email. [email protected]

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