Summary
This role is a Level 7 Archivist & Records Manager apprenticeship, enabling the postholder to become a qualified archivist through a new technical training route. You will be employed on the full range of tasks, listing and cataloguing archives, answering enquiries, fulfilling the rota with the public search room desk duties, supporting archivists.
Wage
£23,450 a year
£23,450 to £23,821 per annum
Training course
Archivist and records manager (level 7)
Hours
Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 5pm, may work the occasional evening and Saturdays.
35 hours a week
Start date
Tuesday 30 September 2025
Duration
3 years
Positions available
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
The apprentice will be employed on a full range of tasks, including:
* Listing and cataloguing archives
* Answering queries
* Fulfilling the rota with the public search room desk duties
* Supporting archivists and conservators
* Fully engaging in the history and heritage of Worcestershire
This role will focus on:
* Acquiring and managing archive collections
* Providing access and helping archive users
* Engaging wider audiences with archive collections
You will be outgoing, friendly with the public, able to meet deadlines and work alone at times. The job involves some evening and weekend duties.
As the county Archive and Archaeology Service, we care for documents dating back to the 11th century. Our busy public service welcomes thousands of researchers each year, exploring our extensive collections. We answer many more online enquiries, including requests for images of our documents. We have a dedicated support service cataloguing, conserving and digitising archival material from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Where you'll work
The Hive
Sawmill Cl
The Butts
Worcester
WR1 3PD
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL
Training course
Archivist and records manager (level 7)
What you'll learn
Course contents
* Negotiate with depositors/donors regarding acquisitions, and with internal and external colleagues/stakeholders regarding security, maintenance and disposal of records
* Confirm that the archives and/or records are stored correctly and they are monitored in accordance with legislation, guidelines and regimes for example PD BS 4971:2017 British Standard Guide for the storage and exhibition of archival materials.
* Develop and maintain archives and records management policies, procedures and processes ensuring their application.
* Consider and implement selection, acquisition, retention, appraisal, classification, audit and disposal principles to records.
* Organise and manage the digitisation of archival material, including identifying suitable records, scanning, creating metadata, and making images available online.
* Manage the care of born-digital and digitised records, including their management, appraisal, classification, storage, access and, where appropriate, long term preservation.
* Arrange, describe and classify analogue, digitised and born-digital records in a variety of formats in accordance with professional standards
* Confirm that accurate paper and digital location records are kept considering the use of different processes such as barcoding.
* Manage compliance with legislation and regulations as appropriate to the service and situation, for example health and safety, Data Protection legislation, copyright and intellectual property.
* Organise and manage audits to make sure that the materials are identified and are stored as safely and securely as possible. This includes making sure that flood, fire, preservation and conservation plans are identified and adhered to by the organization.
* Work in partnership with other specialists for example conservators, sound technicians, or software engineers/developers and other IT experts to arrange for work to be carried out.
* Develop/maintain risk assessment(s) and undertake regular reviews to identify and prioritise risks including mitigation actions
* Use IT software and systems to accurately store, interrogate, interpret and analyse information as required by the archives/records service or by internal/external stakeholders.
* Use appropriate technology and specialist equipment relevant to the collections or services for example workstations or software suites to support digital preservation.
* Develop/manage outreach strategies to engage, develop and maintain internal and external audiences and communities such as open days, social media use or accessible exhibitions to ensure accessibility for as wide an audience as possible.
* Use influencing skills with key decision makers in the sector to enhance the archives and records management service.
* Commission, undertake and disseminate research to support the archives and records management service and/or facilitate research requests from stakeholders ensuring timely and accurate responses.
* Share best practice and/or deliver training to internal staff/external organisations regarding archival or records management activities
* Identify potential funding streams, present ideas, analysis and content and make recommendations, usually in the form of reports, to support the submission of various types of funding applications and future funding strategies.
* Apply project and budget management principles to plan, priorities and balance workload to meet agreed timescales, cost and quality objectives, observing and acting within relevant delegated expenditure authorities and resource streams
* Create content and present information about the collections and/or services for relevant internal or external audiences. Keep up-to-date with sector and wider trends for digital engagement, making recommendations for implementation of changes identified.
* Apply specialism(s) relevant to the organisation or collections, for example: coding or other advanced digital skills, advanced information governance, languages, paleography, working with a specific audience (e.g., children/young people).
* Identify and communicate with various internal/external stakeholders with shared strategies, goals and objectives to identify and overcome barriers to service improvement and collection development.
* Undertake business planning processes including continuity planning and apply legislation and regulations as appropriate to the service and situation, for example health and safety, Data Protection legislation.
* Apply the people/volunteer management policies for example assessing work plans and training needs and managing performance
* Negotiate with depositors/donors regarding acquisitions, and with internal and external colleagues/stakeholders regarding security, maintenance and disposal of records
* Confirm that the archives and/or records are stored correctly and they are monitored in accordance with legislation, guidelines and regimes for example PD BS 4971:2017 British Standard Guide for the storage and exhibition of archival materials.
* Develop and maintain archives and records management policies, procedures and processes ensuring their application.
* Consider and implement selection, acquisition, retention, appraisal, classification, audit and disposal principles to records.
* Organise and manage the digitisation of archival material, including identifying suitable records, scanning, creating metadata, and making images available online.
* Manage the care of born-digital and digitised records, including their management, appraisal, classification, storage, access and, where appropriate, long term preservation.
* Arrange, describe and classify analogue, digitised and born-digital records in a variety of formats in accordance with professional standards
* Confirm that accurate paper and digital location records are kept considering the use of different processes such as barcoding.
* Manage compliance with legislation and regulations as appropriate to the service and situation, for example health and safety, Data Protection legislation, copyright and intellectual property.
* Organise and manage audits to make sure that the materials are identified and are stored as safely and securely as possible. This includes making sure that flood, fire, preservation and conservation plans are identified and adhered to by the organization.
* Work in partnership with other specialists for example conservators, sound technicians, or software engineers/developers and other IT experts to arrange for work to be carried out.
* Develop/maintain risk assessment(s) and undertake regular reviews to identify and prioritise risks including mitigation actions
* Use IT software and systems to accurately store, interrogate, interpret and analyse information as required by the archives/records service or by internal/external stakeholders.
* Use appropriate technology and specialist equipment relevant to the collections or services for example workstations or software suites to support digital preservation.
* Develop/manage outreach strategies to engage, develop and maintain internal and external audiences and communities such as open days, social media use or accessible exhibitions to ensure accessibility for as wide an audience as possible.
* Use influencing skills with key decision makers in the sector to enhance the archives and records management service.
* Commission, undertake and disseminate research to support the archives and records management service and/or facilitate research requests from stakeholders ensuring timely and accurate responses.
* Share best practice and/or deliver training to internal staff/external organisations regarding archival or records management activities
* Identify potential funding streams, present ideas, analysis and content and make recommendations, usually in the form of reports, to support the submission of various types of funding applications and future funding strategies.
* Apply project and budget management principles to plan, priorities and balance workload to meet agreed timescales, cost and quality objectives, observing and acting within relevant delegated expenditure authorities and resource streams
* Create content and present information about the collections and/or services for relevant internal or external audiences. Keep up-to-date with sector and wider trends for digital engagement, making recommendations for implementation of changes identified.
* Apply specialism(s) relevant to the organisation or collections, for example: coding or other advanced digital skills, advanced information governance, languages, paleography, working with a specific audience (e.g., children/young people).
* Identify and communicate with various internal/external stakeholders with shared strategies, goals and objectives to identify and overcome barriers to service improvement and collection development.
* Undertake business planning processes including continuity planning and apply legislation and regulations as appropriate to the service and situation, for example health and safety, Data Protection legislation.
* Apply the people/volunteer management policies for example assessing work plans and training needs and managing performance
Training schedule
The Level 7 Archivist and Records Manager apprentice will spend four days a week working at The Hive, Worcester, learning on the job, and one day a week doing off-the-job learning, during which the apprentice will attend online and in-person training sessions with Westminster Adult Education Service, complete independent learning or write about their work for their portfolio of evidence, which is used in the end-point assessment.
More training information
Online taught sessions every fortnight and also on-site taught sessions every three months location TBA - London or various sites in Midlands and North of England. They will receive assignments every 2-months, and review meetings with their Tutor online every 8-weeks.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
* Customer Service (Level 2) or Equivalent Exp (grade Pass)
* English Language (grade 4 - 9 (C - A*))
* Mathematics (grade 4 - 9 (C - A*))
Desirable qualifications
Other in:
Archives / Local or Family History (grade Pass)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
* Communication skills
* IT skills
* Attention to detail
* Organisation skills
* Customer care skills
* Problem solving skills
* Administrative skills
* Number skills
* Analytical skills
* Logical
* Team working
* Initiative
Other requirements
If you're a care leaver and you meet the minimum essential criteria, you will be guaranteed an interview. Applications that fail to mention their English & Math GCSEs/Level 2 Equivalent/Statement of Comparability etc. will be automatically declined. If you already hold a level 7 qualification related to archives/records, you will be withdrawn.