THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES POSITIVE ACTION ARCHIVE TRAINEESHIP RESEARCH KNOWLEDGE AND ACADEMIC SERVICES
Background
The National Archives (TNA) is a government department; and also an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. Its 580 staff work in Kew, in Norwich, at Admiralty Arch in central London and at the Family Records Centre in Islington. The National Archives brings together the Public Record Office, Historical Manuscripts Commission, the Office of Public Sector Information and Her Majesty’s Stationery Office (see also www.opsi.gov.uk).
The National Archives is at the heart of information policy – setting standards and supporting innovation in information and records management across the UK, and providing a practical framework of best practice for opening up and encouraging the re- use of public sector information. This work helps inform today’s decisions and ensure that they become tomorrow’s permanent record. The National Archives is also the UK government’s official archive, containing 900 years of history from Domesday Book to the present, with records ranging from parchment and paper scrolls through to recently created digital files and archived websites. Increasingly, these records are being put online, making them universally accessible.
The vision of The National Archives is to:
• Lead and transform information management • Guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow • Bring history to life for everyone
Job Purpose
The archival traineeship is intended to provide pre-course experience in The National Archives (TNA) to graduates seeking to apply for the postgraduate accredited course in archives and record management at University College, London (UCL). The recruitment process is shared by TNA and UCL, and a place on the postgraduate course at UCL is automatically reserved for the successful candidate, pending satisfactory reports.
The traineeship will normally run from September to June in the following year. The trainee will experience the full range of the work of The National Archives, with placements in a number of different departments. There may be also an opportunity for a placement in another archive in the London area for part of this time. TNA will make every reasonable effort to provide opportunities for the trainee to undertake work in subject areas of special interest to them. The traineeship will be managed by the Research, Knowledge and Academic Services Department.
Main Duties
1. To take a full part in the daily work of each department, including participating in staff and user meetings 2. To undertake specific project(s) in each department according to a set programme 3. To observe how each department fulfils its mission on an annual and daily basis 4. To take part in regular assessments and to provide feedback on learning and experience as required
Person Specification
Essential
• A first or second class degree, or the expectation of a first or second class degree, in any subject (or equivalent qualification). This is a pre-requisite for the postgraduate accredited course in archives and records management at UCL. • Ability to assimilate the requirements of a task quickly, and to plan and complete a project within a given timescale • Ability to work effectively in a team • The inter-personal skills to interact effectively with a variety of colleagues and stakeholders of The National Archives • Good communication skills, oral and written • Ability to link and integrate theory, practice and work experience • Ability to reflect critically on what has been learnt and experienced • A demonstrable interest in a career in archives or records management
Desirable
• Basic computing skills (word processing, e-mail, spreadsheets, internet use)
The traineeship is designated as a positive action post and is only open to individuals of African, African-Caribbean, Asian or Chinese descent, who are currently under-represented in the archive professional workforce.
Contract: Fixed Term Appointment from September 2007 to June 2008.
Salary Band: C.
To Apply: Please call TMP on 020 7649 6003 for an application form quoting reference 49552 (Minicom 020 7406 5790). Your call may be recorded or monitored for training and quality purposes.
Supporting Statement: Please explain how you meet each point on the person specification. You may draw on knowledge, skills, abilities, experience gained from paid work, domestic responsibilities, education, leisure interests and voluntary activities. Please note selection for interview will largely be based on the information you provide in this section.
Please write on separate sheets, but remember to put your name and post applied for on each sheet.
Nationality Rules: Applicants must be British or Commonwealth Citizens with the right to live and work in the UK, or nationals of states of the European Union.
Close Date: 5pm on 2 July 2007.
Interviews: 25 and 26 July 2007.