GEM Inclusive Pathways Action Research Programme Dissemination online event

This morning, I chaired the GEM inclusive pathways action research programme dissemination online event. Over the past year, on behalf of the Group for Education (GEM) I have been working with seven museums, or groups of museums, in England that have been selected to participate in a new Inclusive Pathways Action Research Programme, made possible through the Investment Principles Support Organisation (IPSO) Programme from Arts Council England.

This action research programme supported projects that were aimed at unlocking barriers to work experience, work placements and inclusive pathways, be it new initiatives or developmental work of existing work-based programmes.

This session shared some of the learning from the programme by hearing from each of the seven projects, followed by time for Q&A. The seven projects are:

  • Museums Development South West (Bristol Museums) with freelancer Liz Fraser-Betts - running a boot camp for early careers museum professionals;

  • Leeds Museums & Galleries - expanding on their Garden & Green Spaces work placement programme for SEND students;

  • Westminster Adult Education Service and freelancer Emily Elsworth with University of Cambridge Museum - carrying out research into how apprenticeships could become more accessible to neurodiverse young people including developing a toolkit from their findings to be shared on the GEM website later in the year;

  • Horniman Museum and Gardens (London) - re-imagining and expanding its work experience offer for local secondary school learners from backgrounds currently under-represented in the museum sector;

  • National Paralympic Heritage Trust (Aylesbury) - exploring new ways to deliver work placements for SEND young people aged under 18;

  • Culture Coventry Trust - piloting a work experience and employability skills development programme for home educated students;

  • Brunel Museum (London) - developing a First Steps to Work programme for local secondary school students during the school holidays.

This event was part of Discover! Creative Careers Month.

We will be following up with a toolkit about this programme, to be launched in March 2027. In the meanwhile, one of the projects has produced an amazing toolkit: Autism, Apprenticeships and Me: making work-based learning routes into the museum sector more accessible. With thanks to freelancer Emily Elsworth, Jenny Pistella from WAES, and staff from the University of Cambridge Museums.