What you will do in your working day
The Service Assistant Apprentices will work behind the scenes of the library and front of house, interacting with users.
They will support the development of the library working under supervision to support the processing of acquisitions and updating the catalogue.
They will play an essential part in the delivery of the Department’s services to the public, responding to enquiries, retrieving material, preserving and re-storing library items and providing invigilation services in the National Art Library. Service Assistant Apprentices also undertake clerical and administrative tasks to support the delivery of services.
A full job description is available on the V&A website. Examples of tasks include
· Working under supervision to undertake data entry and cataloguing as required
· Taking part in the physical reorganization of the collections, including moving stock to new locations, or creating additional storage space
· Preparing objects for loan and display as required
· Working under supervision to deal with enquiries, assisting internal and public access to the collections
The training you will be getting
The Apprentice will work towards the library, information and archive services assistant apprenticeship qualification (Level 3).
Most of the apprenticeship learning will take place at the V&A through 1-2-1 sessions and workshops with monthly workshops onsite at Westminster Adult Education Service.
What to expect at the end of your apprenticeship
Once qualified the Apprentice can progress to their next library or service assistant role. Job roles in the library sector include librarian roles, information management, knowledge management and data science. Transferable skills as part of this apprenticeship would also support the Apprentice in working with wider museum collections and roles within the museum sector.
For more information on careers in the library sector CILIP the Library and Information Association have more information on their website.