Powering Our People project

Industrial Museums Scotland launches nationwide project to address skills gap and ensure future for nationally significant heritage collections.

Scotland’s federation of independent industrial museums is set to launch a nationwide project to address a decrease in conservation skills and ensure the country’s most important and at risk industrial artefacts are saved for future generations.

During 2021-23, the Powering Our People project, Industrial Museums Scotland will ensure the 14 member museums have a trained and knowledgeable workforce, best equipped to care for their Nationally Significant collections, now and into the future.

The move comes after a skills review led by Industrial Museums Scotland and engaging employees and volunteers confirmed that funding cuts over recent years have led to fewer staff and an increasing shortage of specialist training.

The first nationwide training programme led by Industrial Museums Scotland, the £230,000 Powering Our People project has been generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Museum Galleries Scotland, the Pilgrim Trust, Historic Environment Scotland, the Headley Trust and the Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust.  

Through the Powering Our People project, Industrial Museums Scotland will employ a conservator and industrial conservation intern to work alongside 100 employees and volunteers to develop skills, particularly in the care of large industrial objects, important paper archives and innovative and historic engines.

The project, which will also benefit the wider industrial heritage sector, will centre on training, workplace exchanges, a conference and shadowing a conservator, as well as creating online resources to benefit the future workforce.