Introduction To Archaeology Apprenticeships
Would you like to make a future out of the past? If you have got a passion for the past and a genuine interest in piecing together that past to make more sense of the present and the future, then archaeology careers could be ideal for you.
What does an archaeologist do?
If you did become an archaeologist, what is the archaeologist definition? What would you be doing every day?
Well, at entry level, you would be doing archaeology technician jobs. At this level, you might also be known as an assistant archaeologist or you could also have a job title such as archaeological field technician.
As you progress in archaeology careers, you will take on more senior supervisory roles rather than assisting and you will take the lead on digs and other projects such as research.
Archaeology jobs are done by people who really have a passion for the past. People who love to get their hands dirty on archaeological digs. People who are patient and are willing to painstakingly clean, preserve and store artifacts. As well as working outdoors in all types of weather and in various environments, archaeology jobs will also need you to work indoors in laboratories and museums, for example.
Archaeology jobs will also require you to make use of IT for a variety of tasks such as locating sites, reconstructing digital images and recording findings.
Archaeology jobs will need you to be physically fit, too. There’s a lot of manual work to be done around archaeological sites - shrubbery, scrub and rubble often needs to be cleared before a dig can begin.
Did you know that archaeologists are in demand? Now could be a great time to be thinking about an archaeology career. As the UK constructs more roads and buildings, it can be common that ancient sites are stumbled across - but there aren’t enough archaeologists to cover all of this.
Imagine the excitement for historians and archaeologists when a team from Leicester University found the body of Richard lll in a Leicester car park. Or, grizzly as it is, finding a mass grave in Lincolnshire, filled with the bodies of those who had perished as a result of the Black Death.
In the past, archaeology jobs came about as a result of getting a relevant degree or Master’s degree but now if you have been thinking about how to become an archaeologist without a degree, in the UK, you can start on the road to an archaeology career by doing an Archaeology Apprenticeship.
It’s an exciting time in the world of archaeology and heritage where Apprenticeships are concerned and now is a great time to immerse yourself in this sector with Apprenticeship Standards being drawn up in different fields.
The great thing about Apprenticeship Standards is that they are created by professionals within the industry and that is certainly true of Archaeology Apprenticeships. These are the people who really know the technical skills, knowledge and behaviours you will need to be successful in field technician jobs and in developing your archaeology career in the future.
When you do your Archaeology Apprenticeships, you will be learning on the job, getting hands on experience straight away and, of course, you will earn while you learn. No university debts. Once you have completed your Archaeology Apprenticeship, you will then be awarded with a nationally recognised qualification and you can then choose in which direction to take your career.
Entry level Archaeology jobs will see you begin training as an archaeological field technician. This is the Archaeological Technician Apprenticeship.
When you are doing the Archaeological Technician Apprenticeship, you will be providing support to fully qualified archaeologists who are specialists in their field - learning from the best. You will work to industry standards and guidelines, including those of cifa archaeology (the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists).
When you begin your archaeology career doing archaeology technician jobs, the Apprenticeship programme will give you the opportunity to:
During your Archaeology Apprenticeship, whilst learning the skills and knowledge listed above, you will also need to demonstrate behaviours which demonstrate you have got what it takes to continue developing your archaeology career. As well as showing you are committed to future professional development, you will also need to show that you can:
Archaeology Apprenticeship programmes could be a really exciting prospect for all you lovers of history and the uncovering of primary evidence.
Now you know about all the exciting skills you could be learning on your Archaeology Apprenticeship, let’s look at what you might need to be awarded a place on a programme and what you’ll get at the end of it.
Once you have completed your Archaeology Apprenticeship, there is lots of scope for you to go and develop your career. If you want to concentrate purely on your archaeology career, there is currently a Level 7 Archaeological Specialist Apprenticeship that is under proposal. If this is approved, you could go on to qualify at Master’s Degree Level via the Apprenticeship programme.
Alternatively, you could decide to go onto university and do further anthropology and archaeologist courses. This would allow you to move in to more senior positions such as project management and supervisor roles. You could also fund your studies by doing some lecturing jobs for undergraduates at the university where you are studying.
Your Archaeology Apprenticeship will equip you with lots of transferable skills that you can take with you to other types of career. These could be related to archaeology careers such as museum jobs or other roles within heritage. Or you could move in a slightly different direction and do roles in forensics or other laboratory science careers.
If you are keen to travel, there could also be openings in the future for you to do archaeology jobs abroad. This could be paid work or you might want to do some volunteering to build your experience.
The archaeologist salary might not look as though it compares well to other types of careers but most who work in the field of archaeology will tell you that this is a career that you do for the love of your subject. The high level of job satisfaction is what it is all about.
So, do you think you have got what it takes to become a successful archaeologist? If you are ready and raring to go and can’t wait to get out there as a field technician, apply for Archaeology Apprenticeships and you could soon be on the road to building a successful archaeology career.
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