Crannog Centre nets £20,000 grant to invest in staff training

An award-winning Perthshire museum has secured funding to enable it to run training programmes for its staff.

The Scottish Crannog Centre at Kenmore is one of only five organisations in the country receiving money from the Vocational Pathways Fund.

The attraction has been awarded a grant of £20,000 so it can support staff members from non-degree backgrounds who are interested in obtaining a museum qualification.

Employees will work towards a vocational qualification in cultural heritage.

Mike Benson, managing director at the centre, said the scheme demonstrated how important the museum’s staff are to the success of the operation.

He said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to offer young people the opportunity to commence a career within museums at the Scottish Crannog Centre.

“In our first year as a fully accredited museum, it is testimony to the passion and dedication of our staff that we have been chosen for the funding alongside some of the biggest museums in Scotland.”

The fund was established by the Scottish Government to provide training and development for staff at cultural heritage sites who may not have traditional qualifications in museum studies or history.

John McLeish, interim chief executive of Museums Galleries Scotland, said: “We are committed to the development of vocational skills within Scotland’s museums sector.

“We are pleased to be able to support the Scottish Crannog Centre as they take steps to put the development of a young, diverse workforce at the centre their plans.”

The four other organisations receiving a share of Vocational Pathways funding are the National Trust for Scotland, National Museums Scotland, Glasgow Life, and the University of Glasgow.

The crannog, which sits by Loch Tay, is a recreation of a form of ancient loch dwelling which was found throughout Scotland in the Iron Age.