We offer training to develop skills, knowledge and understanding within the archives sector. Our training sessions are relevant from both an organisational and individual perspective. Please email us if you would like more information about any of our sessions. At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, our events and training moved online and some of our events remain digital, alongside our e-learning courses.
Most of our training sessions are free, and bookings are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re unable to cover the cost of travelling to one of our events, please get in touch and we’d be happy to discuss this. We have a limited number of spaces available at each session. Because of this, please only book if you are able to attend, and contact us if you can no longer attend.
Upcoming events
Leadership Skills Programme
The National Archives and the Archives and Records Association have partnered to develop a programme to support recordkeepers (archivists, conservators, and records managers) to develop their leadership skills and pursue continuing professional development (CPD). Both organisations are committed to finding solutions to workforce development challenges and this programme responds to an acknowledged issues related to career mobility within the archive sector.
This programme feeds directly into the action plan for The Government’s new vision for archives in England, It will directly address one of the vision’s three key aims – to ensure the sustainability of the sector by strengthening workforce capabilities and advocating for archives at the highest level.
The programme is aimed at recordkeepers of all career stages (early, mid, and senior). It includes an annual summit, leadership training for different career stages, peer-to-peer support, and other online and in-person events and networking opportunities.
Find out more about the programme, and register to attend upcoming events
Identifying and understanding pre-modern records (online)
May – October 2026
This series of webinars, led by record specialists at The National Archives, is designed to introduce recordkeepers to some of the most common pre-modern document types found in archives. It will explain how to identify these documents, where to find important information to assist with cataloguing, and what kind of information the documents could contain for users.
Each webinar will include a presentation, Q&A and glossary of relevant Latin terms. You can register for individual webinars, or the entire series.
The series includes four Wednesday lunchtime (13:00 – 14:00) webinars on the following topics:
- 20 May – Charters and Deeds
- 10 June – Seals
- 23 September – Manors and their documents
- 7 October – Wills
The series will be of interest to recordkeepers working in archives that contain pre-modern records. While examples will be predominantly medieval, the general principles are applicable to early modern records too.
Find out more and register to attend the Identifying and understanding pre-modern record webinars
Introduction to how to engage your communities
Wednesday 30 September (10:00 – 12:00)
Want to build stronger connections with the communities around your organisation? Join us for an introductory workshop, led by heritage consultant Claire Adler, to hear about the fundamentals of community engagement and how to develop meaningful relationships with current and potential audiences.
Through a combination of expert-led presentations, interactive discussions and inspiring case studies, participants will explore what community engagement means in practice. They will identify the audiences they currently reach, and consider who may be missing from their engagement activities.
Find out more and register for the introduction to how to engage your communities webinar
Launch: Introduction to the National Loans Programme and Archive Loans 101 (online)
Thursday 1 October (12:00 – 13:00)
Join our first webinar in this series to support the archive sector in borrowing collection items for display in exhibitions. This webinar will provide archives across the UK with an opportunity to learn more about the new National Loans Programme pilot from The National Archives. You’ll gain a basic understanding of archival loans through an introductory presentation, followed by a Q&A session.
Register to attend The National Loans Programme launch event
Digital Archive Learning Exchange (DALE) – Potential of AI (online)
Friday 2 October (10:30 – 12:30)
Join us for this online session, looking into the potential of AI for the archive sector. What are the implications, where can benefits be gained and what approaches are organisations taking with this new technology? We will be looking at current trends in AI for archives, considering the topic through different lenses: collections and access, and engagement and workforce implications. This event is aimed at colleagues working in the archive sector or those interested in artificial intelligence, how it functions and what it may mean for archive services.
Find out more and register to attend the DALE webinar on the potential of AI
Sustainability action planning workshop (online)
October 2026 – January 2027
This practical and engaging workshop, led by Lorraine Finch, will guide you step-by-step through the process of creating a sustainability action plan, from generating ideas to producing a finished plan tailored to your organisation. By the end of the workshop, you will have the knowledge, tools and skills to create a plan. This workshop is aimed at professionals working within an archive, whether you’re starting out or looking to refine your existing approach. The workshop will be delivered on the following dates (you only need to attend one):
Wednesday 21 October 2026 (10:00 – 12:00)
Thursday 14 January 2027 (10:00 – 12:00)
Find out more and register to attend one of the sustainability action planning workshop
Archive Service Accreditation: evidencing access and engagement (online)
Monday 26 October (10:30 – 12:00)
This webinar will help recordkeepers applying for Archive Service Accreditation to respond effectively to section 3 of the Archive Service Accreditation Standard: Access and Engagement. It will help participants reflect on how they provide opportunities for their community to access and engage with their collections, and how to demonstrate the impact of their work. The aim is to help applicants give clear, informative responses that show both the breadth of their activity and specific examples of their access and engagement work.
Find out more and register to attend the archive service accreditation webinar
MAPLE: Management and design guidance for archive building projects (online)
Thursday 29 October (12:00 – 13:00)
The National Archives commissioned Chris Woods, National Conservation Service, to produce comprehensive guidance for planning, designing, constructing and operating new or refurbished archival storage repositories. This guidance draws upon information captured during a series of focus groups attended by archivists, engineers, architects and estate managers. Chris will use this event to give an overview of the guidance, as well has highlighting the key messaging. There will also be an opportunity for you to ask questions.
We encourage you to read the guidance before attending the event. To request a copy of the guidance please contact your Sector Development Manager.
Find out more and register to attend the MAPLE event
Impact seminar: involving students in archival practice (online)
Tuesday 3 November (13:30 – 15:00)
Join this impact seminar to hear how different archives have collaborated with students and alumni on a variety of projects. Falmouth Exeter Plus will discuss the Nick Darke: Life, Work and Legacy celebration, highlighting how archives can be used creatively to connect students with literary heritage. Liverpool John Moores University Special Collections & Archives will present on forming and maintaining stronger partnerships with student and alumni groups, through their exhibitions Legacy in Motion and Back to the Drawing Board. University of Worcester will discuss their ongoing History of Basketball project, which focuses on getting students with no experience of archives involved in archival practice with the National Basketball Heritage Collection.
Register to attend the impact seminar on involving students in archival practice
Strategic advocacy for Archive Managers (The Box, Plymouth)
Thursday 3 December 2026 (10:45 – 16:00)
It has never been more crucial to demonstrate the value of your archive to stakeholders and funders. You will leave this free, in-person course with the outline for a Strategic Advocacy Plan, fresh insights from sector experts and an expanded network of industry colleagues.
This one-day course will be delivered by consultant and senior leader, Kate Farmery, and is aimed at Heads of Service or those responsible for managing an archive. There will also be an opportunity to explore exhibitions at The Box, winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026.
A limited number of travel bursaries are available for delegates.
Previous attendees for this course have said:
‘It was an excellent day. Facilitators were knowledgeable and excellent communicators.’
‘Excellent speakers. Really informative.’
‘I have improved my understanding of how to go about getting support for a variety of issues and projects.’
Find out more and register to attend the Strategic Advocacy for Archive Managers course
Community Hub Training Programme
Part of the Spaces, Places and Belonging Community Hub, this training programme has been developed in conversation with community groups, practitioners and partners across the UK. If offers a mix of online and in‑person sessions, covering topics such as building meaningful community partnerships, working ethically and inclusively, telling community stories creatively, and turning ideas, research and collections into engaging public outputs. All sessions are free to attend and are open to everyone.
Take a look at the training programme
E-learning courses
Data Protection Toolkit for Archives
This toolkit is for archive service staff involved in providing access to personal data found within an archive service’s collections.
The toolkit is hosted on Moodle, an e-learning service that The National Archives uses to host learning and development content for the archive sector. Following the link provided below, please fill out the New Account form with your details. Please enter your email address as your username and use the enrolment key: ‘Data Protection Toolkit’. Once you have registered, you will receive an automatic confirmation email from Moodle.
Sign up to the Data Protection Toolkit for Archives
If you already have an account, log in to the Data Protection Toolkit
Archive Service Accreditation e-learning course
This e-learning course is for anyone working with archive collections who wishes to find out about Archive Service Accreditation. It provides a general introduction to the scheme and will help participants take the first steps towards making an application.
Sign up for the Archive Service Accreditation e-learning
Fundraising for Archives e-learning course
We are in the process of reviewing the content of this course. The course will be closed to new registrants while we do this. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes – if you have any questions, please get in touch at asl@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
This e-learning course covers fundraising strategy, financial planning, cases for support, building networks and supporters, crowdfunding, and measuring outcomes and evaluation.
Video tutorials and step-by-step guidance will introduce you to each topic and guide you through online activities, enabling you to put what you are learning into practice and tailor it to your archive service.
Transfer to Places of Deposit (PoD) e-learning course
We are in the process of reviewing the content of this course. The course will be closed to new registrants while we do this. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes – if you have any questions, please get in touch at asl@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
This online learning course explains the key points of the Public Records Act for public record bodies. It describes what a place of deposit is and the process public record bodies should follow to select, prepare and transfer records for permanent preservation to a place of deposit.
The learning objectives of this course are to:
- understand the content and scope of the Public Records Act and the ’20 Year Rule’ changes
- gain knowledge about the process of selecting and transferring records from a public record body to a place of deposit
- recognise the roles and responsibilities for managing records under the Act and what the public record body needs to do
- find out about the guidance and support available from The National Archives
Recorded events
Take a look at our recorded events on YouTube, which cover a variety of topics, services and networks including:
Training
- organisational impact
- advanced bid-writing
- crowdfunding and digital fundraising
- Manage Your Collections in Discovery
Events
- Digital Archives Learning Exchange (DALE)
- Manorial Documents Register Conference 2022
- Archives for Everyone 2023 – 2027
- Launching the Level 7 Archivist and Records Manager apprenticeships
Grants programmes
- Risk and Resilience grants programme
- Cataloguing grants programme
- Research and Innovation grants programme
- Archives Revealed cataloguing grants