What are the Level 7 apprenticeships?
The Level 7 Archivist and Records Manager apprenticeship is a new technical training route into the archives sector in England and is equivalent to the Master’s degree typically required to become a qualified archivist. Each apprenticeship lasts 3 years (36 months) followed by a six-month end-point assessment period.
The apprenticeship standard, which lists the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours that apprentices will learn, was developed by a trailblazer group made up of expert representatives from across the sector. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) approved the apprenticeship and the first apprentices started in autumn 2023.
What benefits do the apprenticeships bring?
The Level 7 Archivist and Records Manager apprenticeship will enable a wider range of people to join the recordkeeping profession. While the Master’s degree will continue to be the right path for some future professionals, the apprenticeship provides an alternative path for people who would encounter financial or educational barriers to getting the Master’s. Having multiple routes into the archivist profession will allow people from diverse backgrounds to bring new skills and ideas to help archives thrive. Apprentices also benefit by gaining a high-level qualification while working and earning.
How do the apprenticeships work?
Unlike our past traineeships programmes, The National Archives does not run these apprenticeships. Instead, The National Archives has helped to launch the apprenticeship scheme and now any archive across England (that has at least one qualified archivist to provide support) can choose to employ an apprentice. Level 7 apprentices are full-time employees with all the corresponding benefits, such as salary, pension and annual leave.
Apprentices receive 80% on-the-job training at the archive that employs them (equivalent to 4 days a week) and 20% formal training with a training provider (equivalent to 1 day a week).Westminster Adult Education Service delivers the off-the-job training for this apprenticeship nationally, with apprentices divided into regional groups. Apprentices will often use their one day a week of off-the-job learning to research, complete assigned self-learning projects or write up assignments that contribute to the portfolio of evidence that is used in the end-point assessment. Once a month, the day of off-the-job learning will be a taught session, alternating between online and in-person. The in-person sessions are held in rotation at the apprentice-employing archives within the region, allowing apprentices to meet face to face and get exposure to different types of archives. Westminster Adult Education Service still runs the training at each in-person session – the host archive just provides the space.
The end-point assessment organisation for the Level 7 Archivist and Records Manager apprenticeships is CILIP Pathways. The end-point assessment for the Level 7 apprenticeships consists of two methods:
- A work-based project during the assessment period, written up as a report. The assessor will ask the apprentice questions about the project. The project should be a real project that fulfils a need within the organisation.
- A professional discussion, underpinned by a portfolio of evidence built during the learning period.
Become an apprentice
Apprentices can only start each autumn when Westminster Adult Education Service begins their off-the-job training cycle. Employers will likely recruit their apprentices in summer 2024 for an autumn 2024 start. Check out our ‘Become an apprentice‘ webpage for more information.
Employ an apprentice
The next time a Level 7 Archivist and Records Manager apprentice can start at your organisation is autumn 2024 but it’s important to start planning now. Take a look at our ‘Employ an apprentice‘ webpages for more information and next steps. We have also commissioned Creative & Cultural Skills to deliver a series of training sessions to help employers prepare to employ an apprentice.