further information on SOCL and application tips - Cultural Co ...

Strengthening Our Common Life (SOCL)
by nurturing heritage skills
Project Description
“A best practice model for diversifying the workforce in the cultural heritage
sector… [one]… that is truly charting new territory”.
Independent Evaluation, Felicity Woolf Associates, September 2012
Cultural Co-operation (CC) is an independent arts and education charity with an
internationally respected history of innovation and achievement. Its mission is to unite people
through high quality engagement with the world’s cultural heritage.
It aims to help bring about positive social change where inequality, denial of opportunity and
other forms of injustice persist, particularly where these are based on racism and religious
intolerance. All CC’s programmes contribute to this aim.
In 2010, CC created a new programme - Strengthening Our Common Life by nurturing
heritage skills (SOCL) - under its Education & Training strand, to increase workforce
diversity in the UK heritage sector. SOCL is funded by the National Lottery through the
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Skills for the Future initiative.
SOCL aims to make Britain’s heritage more accessible and more meaningful to its
increasingly cosmopolitan population by offering high quality skills training in heritage
management to those sections of the community currently under-represented in the
heritage sector at decision-making levels. 18-25 year olds in Britain’s minority ethnic and
faith groups are therefore particularly encouraged to apply.
All candidates are selected on merit.
“This is a unique opportunity for young people to enter into the heart of Britain’s mainstream
culture: learning about our national heritage, re-interpreting it and making decisions about it
for the benefit of all.
Trainees will be immersed in different aspects of heritage, including exploring the many
overlooked cultural connections between Britain and the rest of the world. They will receive
regular expert training to acquire the professional skills necessary to care for and manage
our common heritage - and open it up to existing and new audiences, now and for the
future”
Prakash Daswani, Founder & Chief Executive, Cultural Co-operation
A first round of 12 full-time work-based traineeships (SOCL1) was hosted by 10 leading
heritage organisations, eight in London and one each in Bristol and Portsmouth. SOCL1
traineeships ran between March 2011 and December 2012.

You are applying for a full-time work-based traineeship in the second round, SOCL2;
traineeships to start between April 2013 and June 2013 and run for 12 months each.
SOCL2 which comprises 14 traineeships hosted by 14 top heritage organisations, in
London, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, Portsmouth and Manchester.
SOCL2 Host Partner (HP) organisations are:
• Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives
• British Museum
• Cultural Co-operation
• Foundling Museum
• Garden Museum
• Historic Royal Palaces
• Horniman Museum
• King’s College London
• Museum of London
• National Museum of the Royal Navy & HMS Victory, Portsmouth
• National Portrait Gallery
• National Trust, Manchester
• Southbank Centre
• Tyne & Wear Museums
Heritage
HLF defines “heritage” as “what we value, want to share and pass on”. This definition has
enabled a great widening in recent years of what “heritage” means.
Today’s UK heritage sector is responsible for sustaining all aspects of the nation’s heritage,
for bringing it to life and for engaging all sections of the population in it.
It does this through programmes and projects that encourage public participation, learning
and decision-making about heritage assets as diverse as: cultural objects (including fine
and applied arts, design, ancient monuments, sculpture); historic buildings; public spaces
(including places of worship, parks, natural landscapes); biodiversity; horticulture; archives;
and, of course, the histories of individuals, families and communities, and their cherished
cultural traditions and beliefs.
There are many different stories to tell and in many different ways, including those that
have historically been overlooked or denied to the detriment of the people of modern Britain
as a whole.
SOCL2 Placement
Placements are full-time and run for 12 months, starting between April and June 2013.
Trainees receive a training grant of £13,500 gross per annum, towards living expenses and
local travel costs, exempt of tax and National Insurance, subject to an HMRC (Her
Majesty’s Revenue & Customs) ruling due by March 2013.
A SOCL2 placement will offer you a carefully planned selection of work-based activities that
will enable you to acquire a range of heritage management skills.
Activities are as diverse as the sector itself: developing imaginative new programmes for
children and young people; planning and delivering exhibitions; exploring and conserving

archives; managing precious collections; helping the public to learn about historic buildings;
venue operations; marketing; audience development and fundraising; and so on.
The placements are underwritten by a new nationally recognized and fully accredited
vocational qualification - the QCF Level 3 Diploma in Cultural Heritage – that all SOCL
trainees work to achieve. Placements also comprise: individual and group training in
particular areas of need or interest; participation in a series of facilitated peer support
sessions (Action Learning Sets); and regular opportunities for all trainees to enjoy learning
visits to one another’s host locations.
These traineeships do not constitute an offer or guarantee of employment once a
placement is over. However, by developing a range of accredited heritage skills, backed up
by the QCF Diploma, those who complete their placement successfully will have greatly
enhanced their future employment prospects in the heritage sector. Ten of the 12 SOCL1
trainees secured paid employment in the sector in a range of organisations including
Lambeth Archives, Southbank Centre, Museum of London, English National Opera,
National museum of the Royal Navy and Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives. CC
continues to support the other two trainees in their employment search.
To find out more about the first round of SOCL trainees visit:
http://www.culturalco-operation.org/pages/SOCL1_Trainees
For <strong>further</strong> <strong>information</strong>, contact socl@culturalco-operation.org marking your enquiry
FAO Patrice Lawrence, Programme Manager, SOCL2.
Applications must be received by 2pm Monday 4 February. Interviews will take place
between 4 March and 8 April.

Trainee Specification
The UK heritage sector recognizes the need for young people who can bring fresh new
perspectives to help open it up for all to experience and enjoy. The work programme is
varied and demanding and requires a very high level of commitment from the chosen
trainee. Host Partners provide expert professional supervision and guidance and expect
trainees to aspire to and achieve the highest standards.
You need to use the Application Form to demonstrate clearly that you can meet the
Essential and Desirable requirements listed below. You are not expected to meet all the
desirable standards, but do please explain how you have gained the ones that you feel
most confident about.
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
• At least 5 GCSEs at A*- C grade including English and Mathematics or equivalent
• Basic IT skills such as word processing, use of spreadsheets, email and internet-based
browsing and research
• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Proof of eligibility to live and work in the UK
• At least 18 years of age
• Willingness to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau or other security check if required
Skills, experience and abilities:
• A proven interest in culture and heritage
• Relevant work experience, either paid, voluntary or as an intern
• Excellent ability to communicate in writing or verbally with a range of different
people
• Confident inter-personal and inter-cultural skills and sensitivity to the needs of
others, particularly those from other cultures and faiths
• Ability to think creatively and innovatively
• Proven skills in problem-solving
• Experience of working successfully in a team
• Good organisational and administrative skills
• Attention to detail and ability to analyse <strong>information</strong>
• Ability to take responsibility for your own learning and work
• Motivation, determination and commitment to completion of challenging projects
DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS
• 2 A’ Levels or equivalent qualifications (e.g. BTEC or above)
• Experience in a teaching or learning environment
• Experience working with groups of people and/or in a public-facing role
• Problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm under pressure
• Leadership skills
• Ability to give and receive constructive criticism
• Experience of organising events
• Experience of working with digital and social media

Top tips to consider when completing the Application Form
The first round of SOCL placements was highly over-subscribed; we anticipate that this
round will be even more so. We hope these tips will help you approach the application form
and complete it as thoughtfully and as thoroughly as possible.
1. Look at the Cultural Co-operation website to find out more about what we do and
the history of the SOCL training programme, including the External Evaluation of
SOCL1. You will also find out what SOCL graduates and host partners gained from
the experience.
2. Explore some of the Host Partners’ websites. Even better, make a visit to some of
them if you are able to. You could also visit heritage venues local to you. There is
no guarantee that if you are shortlisted that you will be assigned to the host
organisation you visit, so it would be useful to visit a few.
3. Reflect on the things that excite or engage you about their collections or exhibitions
and the stories these tell us about ourselves. How relevant do you think these are
nowadays? What do you think it is about them that needs to be preserved, shared
and passed on and what should be re-interpreted to engage new audiences? What
barriers do you think exist that prevent more people of all backgrounds engaging
with the sector more generally? What sort of things might help to resolve this?
4. Think about the particular heritage management skills you want to acquire. Bear in
mind that all the SOCL2 host organisations offer their selected trainees a wide
range of highly transferable general heritage skills, as well as the option to choose a
more specialized route, either from the start of the traineeship or as it progresses.
5. Spend some time noting down the relevant skills, experience and knowledge you
already have and how you gained them. Think about all areas of your life, including
work, education, hobbies and volunteering.
6. Have a brief look at the Qualifications and Curriculum Framework (QCF). If you are
selected for a placement you will be working towards a Level 3 Diploma in Cultural
Heritage. http://register.ofqual.gov.uk/Qualification/Details/501_1694_0
7. Be very explicit on the Application Form, matching your skills, experience and
knowledge to the criteria on the Trainee Specification. Give concrete examples - tell
us what you have actually done or achieved as hard evidence of those skills.
8. Address the Desirable skills you feel confident about as thoroughly as you can.
9. Be sure that you are able and willing to dedicate the time and work the traineeship
will entail – and can convince the interviewing panel of this should you reach that
stage.
10. Finally: check your completed Application Form very carefully to ensure that: it is
free of spelling and grammatical errors; you have stayed within the word count and
recorded the number of words you have used; all the details you provide are
accurate.