The Place of the Volunteer in the Modern Heritage Sector
13th June 2018 In Industry Trends And Critical Analysis , Training And Employability Almost every individual employed in the heritage sector is likely to have some kind of volunteering experience on their CV; volunteering and heritage work seem to go hand-in-hand. But is volunteering fair? Ellen, one of our Heritage Assistants, explores the role of volunteering in modern heritage, and questions if it is still appropriate to expect new entrants to have this kind of experience. One of the key issues facing me and fellow entrants into the heritage sector is that of experience. Even entry-level positions require some kind of familiarity and experience in the sector, be it voluntary or otherwise (even if this does seem to defeat the object of ‘entry-level’), and with a remarkably low number of internships or paid opportunities in the sector available outside London, many f eel that there is one option left: volunteering. Heritage organisations seem to rely on volunteers to keep the