Latest news about archaeological training and skills.
June 2020
ATF Training Award 2020 shortlist uploaded
The final judging of the 2020 ATF Award has been delayed, but for the first time details of the shortlisted entries have been shared. Summaries of the shortlist can be found here: ATF-Award-2020-Shortlist. The six entries are:
- Community Archaeology Training, CBA East Midlands
- Heritage Hero Awards, Archaeology Scotland
- Professional Archaeology Skills Training (PAST), Bournemouth University
- Scotland’s Rock Art Project (ScRAP), Historic Environment Scotland
- SMA Resources & Training Project (SMART), Society for Museum Archaeology
- 20 Years of Archaeology Thistle Camps, National Trust for Scotland.
March 2020
ATF@21 Event Summary Uploaded
On 14th October 2019 over 40 representatives from a wide range of archaeological and related organisations celebrated 21 years of the ATF. Forum Members and other archaeologists got together with those delivering skills and training infrastructure to look at some of the key issues related to the provision of a suitably skilled archaeological workforce now and into the future. This report summarises the event but also includes responses from ATF members to the key points made. The resultant document will help develop and guide the new ATF Forward Plan 2021-24.
January 2020
ATF Training Award 2020 open for nominations
This year’s Archaeology Training Award opened for nominations at the start of January 2020. The prestigious award recognises the UK’s best examples of archaeological training initiatives, especially where others can learn from or make use of them.
Previous winners have included large national organisations and also smaller or more local ones. Schemes involving the training of volunteers or community groups are eligible and have been past winners.
Entries that relate to the National Occupational Standard in Archaeological Practice or which contribute to Continuing Professional Development are particularly encouraged, as are those which demonstrate innovation, filling skills or training gaps, or have wider benefit.
If you run or are involved in a skills and training scheme that you feel hits the mark, do consider putting it forward for consideration through the straightforward nomination process. Applications should reach [email protected] by 13th March 2020. The successful project(s) will be announced at the CIfA conference in Bath in April 2020.
September 2019
ATF@21 – Anniversary Event
The Archaeology Training Forum is 21 this year. To mark this, representatives of key archaeological and infrastructure bodies are being invited to an event in Edinburgh on 14th October 2019 to celebrate our collective achievements and to talk about the future of archaeological skills and training in the UK.
The Forum is a group of national bodies representing the spread of the archaeological profession across the UK. Following laying the foundation of vocational training through the National Occupational Standards for Archaeological Practice, Forum members have been working together to improve the delivery of skills and training, and to broaden access to the profession.
With the advent of Apprenticeships in archaeological practice, and current work to broaden the suite of vocational qualifications in archaeology, this is an exciting time for the profession. Taking advantage of our ‘coming of age’, we are inviting representatives of key bodies from across each of the Home Nations to our 21st anniversary celebration to hear about progress and to help feed in to our future direction of travel.
This event coincides with morning workshops and an evening reception – see ATF at 21 final programme. For further information please contact: [email protected] or [email protected].
This event is sponsored and supported by:
Cadw; CIfA; Department for Communities NI; Historic England; and Historic Environment Scotland.
April 2019
2019 Training Award won by Keith Westcott for the Association of Detectorists CIC
The 2019 Award, presented at the opening event of the CIfA Conference, was won by ‘Metal Detecting for Archaeological Projects’, an initiative that aims to train detectorists in archaeological principles, techniques, standards and ethics. The initiative responds to demand from detectorists to become better integrated into archaeological practice and for them to be recognised as having specialist skills that can have an important place in archaeological fieldwork.
Robin Turner, ATF Chair (left) presents the 2019 Award
to Keith Westcott.
The Archaeology South-East initiative ‘Where do you draw the line’ was Highly Commended: a training scheme related to harassment at work. The carefully devised course provided high-quality training for all ASE staff in what behaviours to expect within the organisation but also externally, when in the field or dealing with the public. A better understanding of acceptable behaviour has the potential to make ASE a better place to work and an employer of choice.
The ATF Training Award recognises excellence in training, learning and professional development. It is open to organisations and individuals in both the paid and voluntary sectors and aims to promote the value of training to the discipline as a whole.
More information about the previous winners of the Award, and those who were Highly Commended, can be found on the ATF website http://archaeologytraining.org.uk/atf-award/award-archive/. ATF is keen to publicise and promote good practice in training, learning and professional development so, if you’re involved in a training scheme that you’d like to enter for next year’s award visit the website http://archaeologytraining.org.uk/atf-award/ for more details and look out for the call for nominations in early 2020.
May 2018
ATF Annual Summary for 2017-18 published
The review of activities of the Forum and its members is now available. As well as a brief summary of the main achievements for the year, the report contains an annex with details of progress on the key themes and priorities of the Forum, and with links to many useful training-related web resources.
April 2018
Scottish Skills and Training Event videos go online
Thirteen YouTube videos are now available as a playlist, recording presentations made at the recent skills and training event convened by Historic Environment Scotland, and a summary of the proceedings has been uploaded to the ATF website.
The event brought practitioners from the sector together with educators and others to consider the current skills and training landscape in Scotland, and to forge links to improve opportunities, especially for early career professionals. See the HES blog of the event to find out more.
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