The Race for the First NVQ in Archaeological Pract

[Unitof1]

I suspect that the majority of archaeology jobs are going to be somehow government funded for the next three to five years but it will take over a year for these to come on line. But don’t imagine that there are going to be loads of people clamouring to be on them, there wasn’t the last time. Basically if you are into field archaeology and want earn a living out of it its more than likely that its going to be through exploiting government schemes. It might even be the case that you wont be able to get on them unless you are already unemployed! After the last down turn I met a lot of diggers, manpower schemers who ended up digging in Europe –italy-norway, gov funded jobs, who then turned up on big gov funded archaeology projects here.

[Rachelintheoffice]

Pardon my lamentable ignorance, but I thought South Shields Fort was running an NVQ in Archaeological Practice in the early nineties?

[shovelnomore]

They did, but then they withdrew it in about 1999 to relace it with the VQ, which ran until about 2004 before that in turn was withdrawn to be replaced by the 'New' NVQ- the training schemes ran on but dried up without the accreditation. There's a good few who started out that way out there with varying degrees of later success.

[Rachelintheoffice]

Ah, that explains it. I thought I had one of those, but I've never been quite sure, 'cos it was all a bit of a bodge. Those of us on the Employment Training Scheme in... gosh, was it really 1989... only found out nearing the end of our year that only half the bonus money we'd been promised was payable according to how many days we'd actually shown up for work, while the other half was incumbent on our having completed a qualification during the scheme. Most of us were accounted for, because A-level Archaeology was included on Day Release in the scheme, but four of us already had degrees, and of course, you can't get support-scheme funding for any qualification lower than one you already hold, so we weren't included, and therefore weren't entitled to any money. We took a trip to the administration offices, explained our grievances quite forcefully and with our very biggest boots on, and as if by magic, the Arbeia Roman Fort NVQ appeared, but it was a bit late to actually do anything about it by then, so I have a very smart grey plastic ring-binder with 'National Vocational Qualification' embossed on the front, and absolutely nothing to put in it!

[kevin wooldridge]

Rachel's story of the South Shields MSC scheme and her non-NVQ reminds me of a tale that a friend of mine tells.

Although he has an Oxbridge degree in a non-archaeological subject, his only 'qualification' in 'real' archaeology is a certificate signed by the then West Yorkshire county archaeologist, attesting to his reliability having served the requisite minimum number of days on an MSC scheme in the early 80s. And from such small acorns, the current crashing oaks of great careers were made......

[BAJR Host]

Wish I had even a certificate... if anyone finds out... I'll be ruined!



"Gie's a Job.."
Prof. 'Dolly' Parton

[chiz]

I've now heard back from Kate Geary, who has been very helpful and answered most of my questions. I've got a load of stuff to read and digest before seeing whether I want/need to shell out to do a Level 4, or train to be an assessor, I'll have to work out whether it is financially worthwhile.
It does appear to be a good scheme, but I'm not sure that take up will improve at this time unfortunately.