Cultural heritage conservation technician / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Training

Reference Quantity: ST0611

Particulars of ordinary

Apprenticeship Customary for Cultural Heritage Conservation Technician                                         

Cultural Heritage Conservation Technicians are specialist practitioners working below the supervision {of professional} conservators, conservation scientists or senior conservation technicians. They work to make sure the preservation of cultural heritage objects or collections housed in archives, artwork galleries, libraries, museums, non-public collections, in addition to historic and historical websites. They could additionally undertake work associated to the interior and exterior options of buildings, however not the constructing itself.

Cultural Heritage Conservation Technicians could be discovered working throughout sensible conservation, preventive conservation and conservation science and in doing so may go throughout a spread of collections, reminiscent of in a historic property, or their work may be directed in direction of a selected kind of object or assortment reminiscent of books, sculpture or metals.  Cultural Heritage Conservation Technicians may go for public establishments in addition to for conservation practices within the non-public sector. 

The work of a Cultural Heritage Conservation Technician is basically sensible and is underpinned by an understanding of assess the situation and attainable dangers to an merchandise. Their work contains finishing up conservation assist actions in addition to routine conservation procedures below the supervision and steerage of knowledgeable conservator or conservation scientist, though they might have appreciable autonomy in endeavor technical assist duties reminiscent of conservation cleansing, storage and packing of objects, environmental monitoring, insect pest monitoring, routine conservation remedies and could also be concerned in supervising others on this space. Job duties are well-defined, however working below the supervision / steerage {of professional} conservators might at occasions be complicated and non-routine together with supervising working contractors in historic interiors.

They’re answerable for the standard and accuracy of their work and are good communicators and drawback solvers, in addition to being answerable for retaining applicable and correct data of their work. Cultural Heritage Conservation Technicians work with their supervisors to overview how efficient strategies and actions have been. They could be required to have interaction with the general public to advertise an understanding of cultural heritage conservation. They’ve clearly acknowledged goals and perform investigations – whether or not desk based mostly or extra sensible – with the intention to reply sensible and/or analysis questions. 

Working Circumstances

Time could also be cut up between working in a conservation studio/workshop or on website. A typical working week schedule can be anticipated, with attainable requirement to work extra intensively (i.e. out of hours) in preparation for exhibitions, shifting of collections or set up of environmental monitoring. Relying on the specialism, there could also be name for durations of time away from dwelling (e.g. these engaged on website with immovable objects). 

Typical Duties / Obligations

Duties will range relying on the employer, nevertheless typical duties are more likely to embrace:

• Helping Conservators within the preparation and execution of conservation remedies, in addition to endeavor some routine conservation remedies as specified by certified Conservators.
• Help senior colleagues in supply and monitoring of Built-in Pest Administration and Environmental Monitoring.
• Assess and handle danger to collections on show and in storage, and to supply assist to senior colleagues in mitigating in opposition to these dangers.
• Organisation of collections in storage / on show and sustaining data utilising applicable collections administration methods.
• Liable for the everyday care of collections, together with endeavor of monitoring, conservation cleansing or safety of collections. Supervising volunteers in shifting or dealing with objects.

Job titles embrace

Conservation Technician, Collections Conservation Technician, Conservation Science Technician, Specialist Conservation Technician (Specialisms reminiscent of Preventive, Paper, Photographic, Stone, Digital Preservation, Architectural or Time-based media could also be linked to the job title)

WORK ASPECTS	SKILL	KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Evaluation of supplies, objects, and websites	Use technical info in the middle of sensible initiatives.  Deal with objects (reminiscent of sculpture and textiles) in response to the desired dealing with tips for the merchandise, or the place these will not be out there, in response to the necessities of skilled colleagues Assess situation and attainable dangers to an merchandise in collaboration with supervisor.	The cultural, historic, and religious context of objects and buildings and function inside these frameworks. Examples may embrace work on human stays or objects of non secular significance (e.g. not utilizing supplies derived from pigs on Jewish or Islamic objects) The broader heritage contexts during which conservation is carried out and the way conservation practices and their heritage context can have an effect on each other The dealing with procedures and gear that may be required e.g. in shifting collections or objects, or differing choices for digital archives.  Brokers of decay The distinction between lively and historic deterioration
Conservation choices & methods	In session with a conservator, choose strategies and supplies applicable to the article and the work to be carried out e.g. to course of digital artworks, to wash objects.   Take a look at strategies for effectiveness earlier than implementing them e.g. Use of monitoring gear to verify storage situations or checking software program for digital artwork.	Related statutory, high quality and coverage requirements inside personal space of labor.  Totally different supplies, construction and use of objects and buildings of their care e.g., the totally different buildings of books from a spread of time durations and geographical areas, notably in relation to show necessities and digitisation.   Acceptable environmental situations for the objects of their care.
Conservation Measures	Perform interventive or preventive conservation measures in settlement with supervisor. This might be cleansing of objects and historic interiors, monitoring insect pests in collections or extra particular duties reminiscent of situation checking the decision of digital paintings to evaluate appropriate gear or modify coding.  Choose instruments and gear associated to the transient e.g. within the dry cleansing of an object, the selection between a gentle brush, or a chemical sponge or conservation vacuum cleaner.	The vary of conservation measures from preventive care to interventive remedy carried out inside space of observe Baseline estimates of the time and assets wanted to finish every process Methods to consider strategies for reaching the goals and deliverables. Methods to use specialist gear. e.g. these used for environmental monitoring or coaching in software program and coding for time-based media.   Methods to file information utilizing specialist gear.
Organisation & Administration	Full and keep data. This might additionally embrace data of interventive remedies, pest administration programmes, environmental situations and object places in addition to on the instillation, play strategies and archiving of digital artwork. Perform procedures for danger evaluation, administration, and mitigation  Present info and recommendation via demonstration and explanations Prioritise and plan personal workload	The significance of file retaining and information administration procedures of their work.   Authorized necessities and obligations regarding well being and security, employment and contract regulation and worldwide agreements e.g. such because the laws surrounding use of in using particular chemical compounds used within the routine cleansing of objects.
Private Skilled Growth	Stay present with advances within the physique of information and conservation observe for the precise area.  Preserve, enhance and develop their expertise.	Methods to develop a private improvement plan for studying and self-development with practical however difficult goals Methods to preserve a CPD log Methods to choose and apply applicable studying methods and strategies
Judgement and Ethics	Be accountable and apply skilled ethics within the execution of their sensible work. Be accountable and apply skilled ethics in dealings with the general public, employers, purchasers, and colleagues	Skilled judgement and moral behaviour of their space of observe.  The suitable skilled physique’s code of conduct and observe it within the office.  The bounds of their very own understanding, talents and tasks, and observe inside them. i.e. when to hunt assist of the certified conservator.

 

Behaviours: Cultural Heritage Conservation Technicians can be anticipated to:

• Present moral rules of their work.
• Train of judgement and good observe in endeavor conservation work
• Be well being and security aware when it comes to behaviours individually and in direction of others
• Show a robust work ethic enabling them to work successfully as people and as a part of a workforce
• Display robust communication expertise with individuals throughout their organisation, different professionals, and members of the general public

 

Entry necessities:

Particular person employers will establish any related entry necessities. Most candidates will usually have GCSEs (or equal) at A*- C together with maths, English and a related science. Guide dexterity will have to be demonstrated at interview. 

{Qualifications}:

Apprentices with out Degree 2 English & Maths can be required to realize this degree previous to taking their end-point evaluation. For these with an training, well being and care plan or a legacy assertion the apprenticeships English and maths minimal requirement is Entry Degree 3 and British Signal Language qualification are a substitute for English {qualifications} for whom that is their main language. 

Period:

Usually, 24 to 30 months  

Evaluation date: 

The usual can be reviewed after 3 years.

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