WAES Partner Awarded Funding to Explore Inclusive Career Pathways in Museums

Westminster Adult Education Service, with our partner University of Cambridge Museums, have been awarded up to £4000 through the three year Investment Principles Support Organisation (IPSO) Programme from Arts Council England. Led by the Group for Education in Museums (GEM), this action research programme supports projects that are aimed at unlocking barriers to work experience, work placements and inclusive pathways.

Jenny Pistella, Apprentice Manager at Westminster Adult Education Service, said: “Being learner centered in our approach is incredibly important to us, so we’re delighted to be partnering with University of Cambridge Museums and Museum Access Consultant Emily Elsworth to be starting this Action Research project. During our research we hope to listen to apprentices, audiences and families of those with autism to see how we can help improve access to and routes into apprenticeships for them. We want this reflective, lived experience focused approach to then translate to learning and training for our staff, employers and Tutors and others so that we can make a different to work-based learning provision in our sector”.

In total seven museums, or groups of museums, in England that have been selected to participate:
● Museums Development South West (Bristol Museums)
● National Football Museum (Manchester)
● University of Cambridge Museums (with Westminster Adult Education Service)
● Horniman Museum and Gardens (London)
● National Paralympic Heritage Trust (Aylesbury)
● Culture Coventry Trust
● Brunel Museum (London)

Caroline Marcus, GEM Chair, said: “We are delighted to support these seven museums in testing and sharing approaches that remove barriers and open up opportunities for a wider range of young people to engage with museum work. This programme will help us all learn how to embed inclusion meaningfully within work-based learning, ensuring the sector grows with, and for, the communities it serves.”

This programme will culminate in a public online dissemination event during March 2026, with many of the projects continuing beyond this date.
GEM is also creating a Community Practice Group around this programme for anyone who would like to be involved in online inclusive pathways discussions and to be invited to the culminating online public event. To sign up to this list please contact office@gem.org.uk