Working with Employers The Perspective of an Employer in Field Archaeology, A Year On

1. Working with Employers The Perspective of an Employer in Field Archaeology, A Year On Peter Connelly Project Director Hungate Excavations York Archaeological Trust

2. Here Be Dragons? Enterprise Graduates In The Humanities www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/hca/documents/reports/dragonsreport.pdf Further Requirements: Methodological Skills, such as field recording, data entry and problem solving Careers Guidance to be carried out at an earlier stage Commercial Advice, incorporating exposure to the vocational commercial world. Closer links between universities and commercial units. Archaeology Graduates of the Millennium www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/hca/documents/archaeology/Archaeology_Graduates_of_the_Millennium.pdf Key areas for change include fieldwork, transferable skills, student expectation and stakeholder awareness 58% of the 710 responses claimed that their degree didn’t prepare them well enough for work. Closer relationships between departments and employers

3. A Higher Education Academy report issued in November 2008 (as reported by The Guardian and Times Higher Education) stated that: “Traditional three-year degrees should be radically overhauled to accommodate students who want to drop in and out of university throughout their lives ....” Paul Ramsden, then the head of the HEA, recommended “.... more general undergraduate degrees, such as those in the US and Australia, that would help graduates “contribute to the world of the future” rather than prepare them for academia.” www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/nov/12/administration-student Paul Ramsden’s report can be read here: www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/Journals/THE/THE/13_November_2008/attachments/teaching_and_student_experience_Ramsden.pdf

4. Potential skills shortages and skills gaps as defined in the Institute for Archaeologists Archaeology Labour Market Intelligence: Profiling the Profession 2007-08: Conducting and contributing to survey of historic buildings Conducting and contributing to geophysical survey Desk-based research and assessment Conservation of artefacts or ecofacts, artefact and ecofact research I.T and report writing skills Also highlighted, new entrants lacking intrusive investigation skills, skill shortages in project management and people management. www.archaeologists.net/modules/icontent/inPages/docs/lmi%200708/Archaeology_LMI_report_colour.pdf

5. Archaeological Training: Fieldwork Skills and Training Excavations, A Report for IfA This report makes the observation that “Most universities do not consider it their role to provide vocational training at an undergraduate level, whilst units feel too under pressure to do so.” The report goes on to highlight that “At present most provision of this nature is offered at post-graduate level. Given the expense of study, and the poor remuneration of the employment likely to be obtained, it would seem of potential benefit to enable those seeking a professional future to obtain professional preparation at first-degree level.” www.archaeologists.net/modules/icontent/inPages/docs/prof/Archaeological_training_report.pdf

6. Preparing for professional health and safety requirements. Construction Industry health and safety initiatives have evolved rapidly in last the last ten years, especially in the arena of behavioral attitudes. Incident and Injury Free: www.jmj.com/files/ourservices/JMJ_IIF_Brocchure_10-08.pdf These initiatives are deliverable by those frequently involved in such programmes. A number of archaeological units have health and safety staff trained to deliver such initiatives.

7. Further Resources: Training Online Resource Centre: www.torc.org.uk National Occupational Standards in Archaeological Practice: www.torc.org.uk/nos/index.asp Qualification in Archaeological Practice, Vocational Qualifications (3 levels of NVQ): www.archaeologists.net/modules/icontent/index.php?page=199 IfA fact sheet, Becoming a Professional: www.archaeologists.net/modules/icontent/inPages/docs/training/BecomingProfessional.pdf Archaeological Training Forum’s “A Vision for Training and Career Development in Archaeology”: www.torc.org.uk/ATFvision.pdf

8. “Job Losses in Archaeology – October 2010, January 2011” Produced by Landward Research Ltd for IfA and FAME The number of people in archaeological employment fell considerably over the six months from 1 July 2010 to 1 January 2011. It is estimated that on 1 January 2011 there were 5827 people in archaeological employment in the United Kingdom, a fall of 7.6% since July 2010. 3189 of these individuals were working in commercial, applied archaeology, a decrease of 13.1% since July 2010. This figure is 21.0% below the August 2007 peak. There are now fewer people in archaeological employment than at any time since this series of surveys began in January 2009. For the sixth and seventh quarters in succession the skills needed to conduct and contribute to invasive field investigation were reported as being those that were most frequently being lost. http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/JoblossesJan2011.pdf

9. “Decisions on assessing research impact” • REF 01.2011 March 2011 • 2.b. The assessment of impact will be based on expert review of case studies submitted by higher education institutions. Case studies may include any social, economic or cultural impact or benefit beyond academia that has taken place during the assessment period, and was underpinned by excellent research produced by the submitting institution within a given timeframe. Submissions will also include information about how the unit has supported and enabled impact during the assessment period. • Pg. 1. • 4. .......... This reflects policy aims across the four UK funding bodies to maintain and improve the achievements of the higher education sector, both in undertaking excellent research and in building on this research to achieve demonstrable benefits to the wider economy and society. • Pg. 3. • 11.d. .......... The submitting unit need not have undertaken all of the contributing research, or have been involved in exploiting the research. • Pg. 5. • http://www.hefce.ac.uk/research/ref/pubs/2011/01_11/01_11.pdf

10. Federation of Archaeological Managers and Employers • In its 2009 Manifesto, FAME expressed its concerns over the significant skills gap in the sector, and stressed the need to train better and develop more robust and embedded procedures for professional development • The Southport Group: Workshop Report January 2011 • A communication channel/central point of contact between commercial and academic work is missing – beyond conferences • Pg.16. • Develop a network of working relationships between universities and others • Pg.17. • The commercial sector finds it difficult to keep up with current research interests – there should be better engagement with/contribution to AHRC projects and to the standing seminar on post-graduate research. • Pg.18.