Archives open to all

TNA will pay the course fees of an ethnic minority student studying the MA/Diploma in Archives and Records Management course.

Students will have to first successfully complete a 10-month internship at the National Archives before taking up their place at UCL in September 2006. The internship is designed to give students a practical grounding in the profession before they begin their academic studies. As part of the work placement, students will take part in a range of activities in various TNA departments and undertake a specific project in each.

Mr Geoffrey Yeo, the course director said: "In recent years we have noticed that the profile of our applicants doesn't match the ethnic mix of the UK population, and we were anxious to see if there was something we could do to change that. We decided the best way to achieve a better balance was to enter into a partnership with an employer, so we approached TNA who received our proposal with enthusiasm."

Commenting on the lack of ethnic minority representation in the archives profession Mrs Sarah Tyacke, Chief Executive of The National Archives said: "Archives in Britain should relate to all sections of British society, but there is currently a lack of trained archivists from African, African-Caribbean, Asian and Chinese groups, which could lead to an imbalance in the collecting and care of records from all areas of the British population. By encouraging people from a more diverse range of cultural backgrounds to become involved in archives, we hope this pilot project will help to address this issue."

The MA in Archives and Records Management is recognised by the Society of Archivists as an entry-level qualification into the profession, and is oversubscribed each year by applicants who are drawn by its 100 per cent employment record.

Link:

• MA/Diploma in Archives and Records Management course