Skills Development at RAMM
RAMM is keen to support learning and skills development in people of all ages. RAMM currently runs a range of activities and learning events from baby-friendly curator talks and children’s activities through to dementia friendly workshops and a lot in between! RAMM also has a particular range of activities aimed specifically at those wanting to develop employment skills and/or get involved in work-based learning opportunities.
Work Experience
In order to support young people right at the beginning of their career journey RAMM operates a bi-annual work experience programme for 14-18 year old school children. This intensive week long work experience opportunity offers students the chance to get involved in various aspects of the museums day-to-day operations and provides an overview of the different roles and opportunities available in a museum.
Industry Placements
RAMM also works with schools and colleges to offer young people the opportunity to learn new employability skills for example, in 2019 RAMM provided two students with an ‘Industry Placement’ (a new government initiative being piloted by Exeter College) and part of a bigger program called T-Levels which is set to launch nationwide in 2020. The aim of the placements (one day a week over a thirty week period) is to provide 16-19 year olds taking a technical course, with real-life work experience to develop their knowledge and skills within their chosen industry. This year’s pilot was with 1st Year Level 3 IT Systems and Networks students and RAMM has been delighted with the work produced by the students who have undertaken projects that would not have otherwise been possible. Happily, we are now working with our third industry placement student.
Graduate Business Partnership Internships
In order to support recent graduates with relevant and meaningful skills development RAMM works closely with the University of Exeter to provide paid skills development internships. As part of the Graduate Business Partnership scheme RAMM offers two paid (12 month fixed term) internships to graduates each year. The internships are advertised nationally and are open to graduates of any discipline providing they have graduated within the last three years. The internships offer recent graduates a fantastic opportunity to gain skills in the cultural sector and RAMM also benefits considerably from the new skills, ideas and enthusiasm that these early career graduates bring to our organisation.
Access to Internships (A21): Student Widening Participation Internships
RAMM also works in partnership with the University of Exeter to provide students who meet their Widening Participation Criteria (for example being a care leaver, having refugee status, a disability or Black, Asian and minority ethnic students who attended a State School/College in a ‘Low Participation Neighbourhood’) with secure paid internships. The internships are funded by the University of Exeter and are usually four weeks or 140 hours in duration.
Supported Internships
This year RAMM has been working with Exeter College and Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education to offer two young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities the opportunity to gain some meaningful work experience in the cultural sector. RAMM offered two ‘supported internships’ this year which the students undertook as part of their ‘NCFE Certificate In Employability Skills Level 1’ course, which aims to help young people with learning difficulties and disabilities achieve paid employment by allowing them to develop skills and experience through workplace learning.
Youth Panel
RAMM’s Youth Panel November 2019
In November 2019 RAMM recruited its first ever youth panel. With Art Fund Support RAMM was able to offer twelve university students a paid and meaningful cultural work opportunity. The panel itself is made up of students from various backgrounds and a range of different humanities based courses from English through to Anthropology.
The overall aim of the youth panel is for the group to effectively develop a public programme specifically designed to appeal to 18-25 year olds, with the aim of increasing their sense of ownership and connection to the Museum. This age group has traditionally been more difficult for RAMM to connect with so it is hoped that the events and activities the youth panel develop will encourage more young people to engage with all the museum has to offer.
As part of their 12 month experience youth panel members will be given the opportunity to:
- Plan, organise and implement two youth focused events during the twelve month period.
- Develop a social media campaign aimed at getting young people interested in what’s going on in the museum.
- Review the RAMM ‘visitor experience’ from the point of view of a young person.
- Act as a critical friend, helping RAMM to improve its engagement with young people across the region and beyond.
- Take part in a range of training opportunities within the museum such as visitor interaction, object handling and exhibition briefings.
- Produce a trail around the museum on a theme decided by the youth panel.
- Assist in the planning of one of the new exhibitions proposed for the museum.
- Plan and deliver a recruitment strategy to encourage new youth panel members to join (in an unpaid capacity) in order to ensure the youth panel is sustainable after the initial first funded 12 month period.
- Youth panel members are paid for one days work each month.
For more information about the youth panel please contact:
Sophie Harbour (Engagement Officer, Skills Development)
T 01392 265976
E [email protected]
For more information about the Art Fund: www.artfund.org