Press

V&A NVQs Press Releases

V&A NVQ Assessment Centre
October 2010

The V&A has successfully been awarded National status by QCDA for the Conservation level 4 award which was written by staff in the Conservation Department. We have also received the Information and Library Services awards for our centre.

There are V&A staff taking NVQs and external from:

We have also received the funding to deliver NVQs for 14 of the London Culture Quarter interns who are doing Cultural Heritage NVQs

Culture Quarter Interns (Jobs Fund Programme)
September 2010

http://www.culturalquarterprogramme.co.uk

The Culture Quarter Programme is a partnership of arts and cultural organisations based in Central London including CreatKX (Kings Cross Cultural Quarter) Design Council, English National Opera, ERCG (Exhibition Road Cultural Group), The Hospital Club, The National Portrait Gallery, Royal Opera House, Somerset House and the V&A Museum.

9 interns have started the V&A in Word and Image, Conservation, Documentation, Learning and Interpretation departments. A second intake will start in October 2010.

The Cultural Quarter Programme provides a number of paid 6 month fixed term contract jobs in a range of roles with one of their partner employers. The functions covered include Arts Administration, Visitor Services, Box Office, Retail, Information Technology/Web and Conservation/Collections.

The V&A tour was amazing! Getting behind the scenes was very inspiring. I enjoyed the talk about Conservation and afterwards I felt like I had walked away knowing something new! A really organised session - my favourite so far.

The Programmeis unique in the way that it will offer a range of structured training within each job, aimed at giving each participant an insight into the creative and cultural world, equipping them to embark on a successful career within the arts sector. The training will include a personal development programme and a series of master classes led by experts from the creative sector. Participants will also study for an NVQ qualification relevant to their chosen area of work with the V&A NVQ Assessment Centre and Westminster College.

Every week all interns attend master classes at the partner organisations. The V&A masterclass focussed on the Conservation and the Theatre Collection and was highly acclaimed.

So far I found the Victoria and Albert Museum to have been the most superior Masterclass for the main reasons that it was engaging, practical and insightful. It gave us a real insight into what goes on behind the scenes, information once could argue that the general public will never be privileged to. I loved the way the class was structured and the way it took us through the process of conservation. Seeing what the other CQP members do and how their work could become a career for them was particularly userful. I look forward to seeing what other cats are pulled from the Masterclass bag so to speak.

NVQ Awards Ceremony
February 2010

In February at the NVQ awward ceremony Nick Umney, Director of Collection Services and Richard Price, the Chairman of EDI Education International awarded 20 people their NVQ certificates.

Partnership Launch
23rd October 2008

The V&A and Kensington and Chelsea College (KCC) are working together to deliver NVQs and Creative Apprenticeships to people working in the cultural and arts sector and wider business community.

The Launch of the partnership between the V&A Cultural Heritage Assessment Centre and Kensington and Chelsea College will be at the V&A on 23rd October 2008.

read full press release

Successful candidates
May 2008

In May 2008 29 candidates completed their NVQs and Damien Whitmore V&A Director of Communications presented them with their certificates at the annual award ceremony.

External candidates were from:

V&A NVQs in the Press

Are you a natural curator?
Period Living: June 2009

Julius Bryant explains that people from all walks of life end up working at teh V&A: "We employ people with backgrounds in everything from fine are to computer technology - we have collections to suit almost everyone, including digital art".

read full article

YEL and YGMG5 - What??
Positive TV: Solutions 17

YGMG5 is a real inspiration, run by the V&A and the British Museum, amongst others. They offer a training and mentoring program to students in their last two years at school. They take them behind the sceens of the most famous galleries and museums in the UK, and let them work in various different environments, getting the feel of how these wonderful institutions work.

watch the Positive TV programme

How I made a difference at work
People Management magazine, 8th May 2009

Veronika Harris, the V&A's head of training and development, on its employer-led qualifications

read full article

V&A gets accredited for training scheme
People Management magazine, 16th October 2008, page 11

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has become the first UK museum to have its in-house training programme nationally accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA).

The museum's development programme for assistant curators has been running for 10 years and is equivalent to an NVQ level 4. Designed by the V&A, the scheme combines on-the-job training with academic study and covers skills such as working with collections and looking after visitors.

read full article

News release: V&A shows commitment to training
29th July 2008

V&A becomes first museum to have in-house training accredited nationally

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has today announced that the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has become the first museum able to have its in-house training nationally accredited.

The museum's in-house training already sets the standard for curatorial training nationally, with both V&A employees and other museums undertaking their training programmes. By working with exam board EDI to develop the new qualification, the V&A will be able to have this training recognised as a nationally accredited qualification for the first time.

read full article

The museum gold standard
Art industry 12 September 2008

Curatorial training used to be reserved for the educated elite. Now there's a career for anyone who can earn it, thanks in part to the V&A's newly QCA accredited training.

Curatorial training is one of those arcane internal processes that happen within museums and galleries with the public, mercifully, knowing nothing about what goes on. Their only awareness is when the training results in a display they can see, a label they can read and understand, and a sense of the uniqueness of the objects. And each museum seems different in its style, its scholarship, its narrative – a very particular kind of training.

read full article

Events

A welcome change: Improving your front of house

This conference presents the latest thinking and offers practical examples of how front of house staff can work beyond their traditional roles. It looks at the benefits of professional customer care and provides design solutions to unfriendly environments and poor signage. It will also show how well-trained and empowered staff can respond positively to many of the current agendas.

If you are looking to improve visitors' experiences, foster shared skills and utilise your organisation’s resources then attendance is a must.

more event information