Focus on: skills & confidence in action
Museums and galleries thrive when their staff and volunteers are given chances to develop their skills and confidence.
This month we’ve invited museum sector workers Gabi, Noel, and Thania to share how their organisations are inspiring the workforce of the future, developing digital skills and confidence, and investing in opportunities for museum workers.
Read on to find out more about how museums and galleries are putting the skills & confidence aims of Scotland’s museums and galleries strategy into practice.
What is the skills & confidence priority area?
Scotland’s museums and galleries workforce has equal access to skills development opportunities and is empowered to operate ambitiously.
This is one of the ten priorities of Scotland’s strategy for museums and galleries. You can read the skills & confidence priority area and actions in full here.
Inspiring the workforce of the future
Marseum is an exciting learning resource which aims to help young people discover a whole new world of career opportunities. Gabi Gillott (she/her), our Workforce for the Future Project Officer, is featured in this video which showcases how Marseum gives young people the skills and confidence to imagine a future in the museum sector.
📢 Find out more about the Marseum learning resource and discover how you can use it in your museum or gallery.
Developing digital skills and confidence
📸 Museums and galleries can speed up processes, experiment with new approaches, and expand their reach by investing in digital skills. Digital Project Officer Noel Griffin (he/him) describes the impact of this focus on new technology at The Watt Institution.
“At The Watt Institution, we have significantly advanced our digital skills and confidence by embracing cutting-edge technologies to enhance both operations and visitor engagement.
A key focus has been improving how we document our collection through photography and 3D scanning techniques. By establishing efficient workflows, particularly using photogrammetry, we can create highly detailed digital replicas of artefacts. These scans are freely accessible on platforms like Sketchfab, providing a global audience with the ability to view and download our models for free.
The versatility of these 3D scans is reflected in their wide range of applications. They are featured in engaging animations that enhance storytelling in our exhibitions, integrated into our in-gallery guide app, and shared as dynamic content on our social media platforms. Additionally, we’ve used these 3D models in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences, offering visitors immersive, interactive ways to explore our collections. We also leverage 3D printing to create tactile handling collections, further expanding our educational outreach—especially for audiences with diverse learning needs.
In alignment with our commitment to sustainability, we’ve begun using waste plastic collected from beaches as material for 3D printing, weaving environmental responsibility into our digital innovation efforts.
Our success in these areas stems from a strategic approach to skill-building. Through hands-on training, collaborative projects, and continuous learning, our team has gained the confidence to navigate new technologies. Cross-department collaboration has been vital, with staff working together to integrate digital solutions into exhibitions, outreach activities, and visitor services.
Improved digital literacy has also streamlined our workflows, accelerating documentation processes and reducing the need for frequent handling of artefacts, thereby improving both efficiency and preservation efforts. This culture of shared learning encourages experimentation and iterative problem-solving, allowing us to take risks and continuously refine our methods.”
📢 You can explore 3D scans of The Watt Institution’s digital collections on Sketchfab.
Investing in opportunities for museum workers
🏛️ Heritage Environment Resources Officer Thania M. Flores (she/her) shares how the team at Trimontium have supported her workforce journey, leading to a permanent position and personal recognition at recent tourism awards. Thania’s story highlights how museums and galleries can benefit from investing in the skills and confidence of their workers.
“In January 2020, I contacted the Trimontium Museum in search of an internship opportunity. I was in Canada at the time, pursuing a postgraduate programme in Museums and Cultural Management. After thoughtful consideration, the trustees offered me the opportunity. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the originally planned 3-month, in-person internship became a remote collaboration that turned out to be both long-lasting and life-changing.
Armed with a strong academic background in art history and cultural studies, skills in marketing and design from my previous career as a dance studio owner, and recently acquired museum-specific skills such as collections, project management, and programmes, I was eager to contribute to the museum’s growth and fill any skill gaps while also acquiring valuable working experience.
Starting a new career path in my early 40s was both exciting and daunting, especially since – to my dismay – most internship opportunities had age limits which I had surpassed by over a decade. I knew I had to work not just a little bit harder, but also creatively and with a ‘growth’ mindset. Trimontium proved to be the perfect place for me.
What sets Trimontium apart is its willingness to provide opportunities to those who seek them, supporting staff and volunteers with training and mentorship when needed, listening to new ideas, playing to everyone’s strengths, and making people feel valued. Staff, volunteers, and trustees all learn from each other.
After my internship ended, I continued volunteering and eventually applied when a new position opened. I am now a staff member and have relocated to this beautiful country. Thanks to Trimontium’s support, my skills and confidence have continued to grow: I recently won the Rising Star category in the South of Scotland Thistle Awards and have contributed to Trimontium’s Awards for Best Visitor Attraction 2023 and Inclusivity in Tourism 2024.”
Find out more
We’d like to thank Gabi, Noel, and Thania for contributing to this month’s Focus On! If you’d like to find out more about skills and confidence in museums and galleries, check out our blog post on the topic. You can also contact us for advice and support in this area.
Thanks for reading our latest focus on article. Next edition, we’ll be exploring green policies, community workshops, and Carbon Literacy Focus on: climate action.
