University of Cambridge Museum Opportunities

Whatever your experience, there are opportunities for you to get involved with and support the museums.  The University of Cambridge museums offer a limited number of work experience placements, internships, apprenticeships and volunteer opportunities.
The University of Cambridge Museums truly appreciates the time given by people filling these roles as they contribute to the meaningful delivery of the museums’ aims and objectives.
Find out about Work Experience placements with the University of Cambridge Museums

• The next Work Experience Taster Day will take place on 26 October 2017
  View an example timetable for the day here.

The museums are currently offering the following placements and roles:

Degas Exhibition Surveying Volunteer - The Fitzwilliam Museum
Marketing & Outreach Volunteer - Museum of Zoology
Audience Research Volunteer - University of Cambridge Museums
Education Events Volunteer - Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences
Curiosities at the Bedside Volunteer - University of Cambridge Museums
Diwali Festival, 25 October 2017 - University of Cambridge Museums
Events Volunteer - Museum of Classical Archaeology
Front of House Volunteer - Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
CIRCUIT Project (ages 15-25) - Kettle's Yard and Wysing Arts Centre


Queries regarding these roles may be addressed to:
University of Cambridge Museums Opening Doors Project Coordinator
Email: opendoor@hermes.cam.ac.uk
Post: University of Cambridge Museums, c/o The Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1RB
Main tel: +44 (0) 1223 332907

For clarification, the posts are defined as:
Work experience offers school-aged participants the opportunity to spend one or two weeks outside of school to learn new skills and develop their self-confidence, timekeeping and communication skills as well as to discover more about a particular career or industry.
Internships are temporary, fixed-term placements (usually between two and six months) with a job title and usually a wage.  Internships are the first step of a career path and provide enough experience during the duration that the participant is then qualified for a permanent job within the industry.
Please note for clarification that internships required as part of a course of study will not be paid and should be considered as a 'placement' or ‘studentship’. These positions will be made available through and filled by the individual museum or department.
Apprenticeships are run through a formal accredited structure and provide vocational learning for people aged 16 and over which leads to a certificate equivalent to GCSE passes. As such, this role is not applicable for those who have graduated University. Apprentices will be employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week for one year.
Volunteers offer their time, skills and experience free of charge. They do not have a contract of employment but will usually sign a volunteer agreement setting out responsibilities and expectations.  Volunteer opportunities vary in the time commitment required from one-off events to more formal, recurring roles.
Please note: some roles within the museums receive a high level of interest, but only a limited number of opportunities exist.

Zero Hour Contracts in decline

It seems that the number of Zero-hour Contracts (employment contracts that hire people without any clear guarantee about the number of hours of work that will be available) are in decline.  Click on the link below to see an article in the Financial Times that discusses this recent development...


https://www.ft.com/content/3de1b19c-9d1b-11e7-8cd4-932067fbf946

New opportunities for Dyson Engineers

The Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology

Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology has just opened its doors to 33 new undergraduates. As they begin their four year Bachelor of Engineering degree, they will work alongside world-class experts on cutting edge technologies. Today applications are open for entry in September 2018. To find out more and apply, please visit the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology website. Please note: All applications for 2018 entry must be submitted via the link above

As unemployment drops, wage offers seem to be rising

Hiring Demand Increasing Pay
Staff demand in the UK has increased at its fastest rate since April 2015, however with candidate availability continuing to decline, employers are raising pay rates higher than ever, according to the latest IHS Markit/REC Report on Jobs.
Growth of permanent starting salaries quickened for the fourth month straight in August and was the quickest rate of pay inflation seen since October 2015. Contract pay also increased at a faster pace, rising at the steepest rate for 16 months in August. The rises in pay comes amid a further drop in candidate availability as the pool of candidates ready to fulfil permanent job roles continued to decline sharply in August.

Private sector staff demand picked up again in August, with the number of vacancies rising at similarly sharp rates for both permanent and short-term staff. Demand for public sector staff remained less marked than seen in the private sector, but was nonetheless steep overall. Growth in demand for temporary public workers continued to outstrip that for permanent workers in the sector.

Demand for permanent workers rose across all monitored job categories during August. The steepest increase in vacancies was seen in IT & Computing, followed by Accounting/Financial. Construction saw the weakest upturn in permanent staff demand.

How does the current jobs market appear?

Labour market statistics

1. Unemployment is 1,455,000, and fell by 28,000 from last month’s published figure (quarterly headline down by 75,000) and the unemployment rate is 4.3%, down 0.1 percentage points on last month and down 0.2 percentage points on last quarter.

2. The number of claimant unemployed is 806,300, down 2,800 on last month, and the claimant rate is 2.3%.

3. The number of workless young people (not in employment, full-time education or training) is 954,000, up 1,000 on the quarter, representing 13.4% of the youth population (up 0.1 percentage points).

4. Youth unemployment (including students) is 528,000, down 36,000 on the quarter.

5. There are 1.9 unemployed people per vacancy.

6. The employment rate is 75.3% (up 0.1 percentage points on last month’s published figure and up 0.5 percentage points in the preferred quarterly measure).

 

The labour market figures published on 13 September provide a distinct feeling of deja vu as they show another strong increase in employment combined with falling unemployment and falling economic inactivity amongst people of working age. However, it is also the case that workers are getting poorer with real wages falling for the fifth month in a row.

Volunteering Opportunities at Addenbrookes Hospital

I am pleased to correspond with you regarding our Young Persons Volunteering Programme at Cambridge University Hospitals.

Volunteering is about making a difference for patients. Volunteers play a vital role as part of the team contributing to the wellbeing of our patients and visitors. YPP volunteers are allocated to the wards, where they help out with the evening meal, providing assistance and encouragement for our frailer patients. YPP volunteers engage patients who are lonely, isolated or anxious with the opportunity to communicate. This can take the form of:

 

A conversation
An activity (such as a game or puzzle)
A book from our patient library

 

These interactions are simple but can make a great difference to patients, to whom the day in hospital can seem long and dreary. A listening ear, a friendly smile and a kind word are sometimes the things that matter most. Such interactions may seem trivial, but if they help to lift a patient’s mood this can lead to increased appetite, for example, thereby making a tangible difference to patient outcomes.

 

Our young volunteers often have an interest in investigating a career in the NHS, so valuable insight can be gained into life on the wards. This is not mandatory of course, as young people may wish to volunteer simply for the joy of volunteering. Communication skills will improve, as will confidence as volunteers move through the 15 week programme.  Volunteering in a clinical environment is also frequently seen as beneficial by Higher Education establishments.

We have just begun our fifth cohort of the programme this month. Feedback from the volunteers has been very positive and they are enjoying the programme, talking to our patients and developing their confidence and communication skills.

What the Young Persons’ Volunteering Programme involves

Our next Cohort is due to start on Monday, 8^th January 2018 and will run for 15 weeks ending on Friday, 4^th May 2018.

Applications for the YPP starting in January are invited between Monday 2^nd October – Sunday 31^st October 2017. After this date the vacancy will close.  Applications are via our website: https://www.volunteering.cuh.org.uk/volunteering-opportunities-2/young-persons-programme/  clicking on the Young Person’s Volunteering vacancy button (not the general volunteering vacancy button). Applicants should be aged 16 -19 at the time of application and in full time education.

 

All applicants should consider their application carefully and try to demonstrate their clear motivations for wanting to volunteer and their genuine interest in helping others. It would be helpful if they could give an example of where they have demonstrated the Trust values of safe, kind and excellent in relation to helping others.

 

After the closing date of Sunday 31^st October we will consider the applications received. If shortlisted, applicants will be invited to attend an assessment event. There are two available on Monday 14^th November 2017 or on Thursday 16^th November 2018. Further information will be sent closer to the time. We do have a maximum capacity of 100 volunteers, so any applicants who are unsuccessful will be able to re-apply for the next Cohort starting in September 2018.

 

Successful Applicants will receive a Conditional Offer to join the YPP Programme which is subject to satisfactory pre-engagement screening checks. These will be explained in further detail at the Assessment Events. One of the required checks will be for the applicants to supply a reference from their current place of study. It would be appreciated if the reference is sent back to us as soon as possible to process.

 

We will run a welcome and induction morning on Wednesday 3^rd January 2018 from 9am – 1pm. Volunteering will begin w/c Monday 8^th January 2018. The volunteering duty is two hours, 4.30pm until 6.30pm, and successful applicants will be allocated an afternoon slot on a weekday (Monday to Friday), which will not be transferable. Volunteers will be expected to volunteer for a 15 week period, from:

 

Monday 8^th January 2018 – Friday 4^th May 2018

Volunteers are required to complete the minimum of 30 hours, unless illness or other agreed absence prevents attendance.

YPP volunteers will be supported throughout the programme by Trust staff and will have an Evening Duty Supervisor available as well as the support you will get from the ward teams.

At the end of the programme there will be a celebration evening where volunteers will be presented with 30 hour badges, certificates and a reference. There will be opportunities for continued volunteering for graduates of the programme and these will be outlined at this event.

We look forward to receiving your students’ applications to join our Young Person’s Programme, and please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any queries.

Kind regards

Andrew, Coordinator for the Young Persons Programme.

 

Andrew Keeble| Administrator| Voluntary Services Ext: 3762| 01223 217762 | Voluntary Services, Box 214

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ

The Trust is: part of the National Institute for Health Research - Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, and a member of Cambridge University Health Partners

 

MEET THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE CONCEPT

 

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