Diversifying the Workforce

Museum Galleries Scotland is the national development body for all museums and galleries in Scotland. They support museums and galleries with grant funding, skills development, advice and advocacy.  All of us have unique talents, and inclusion and diversity are about creating the right working conditions for everyone to succeed. Museums Galleries Scotland based in Edinburgh has committed their support to the Young Person's Guarantee by creating a working environment that supports and provides fair work for all their employees.

​In its role as an employer and in their organisational activities, they place a high priority on inclusion and diversity which they believe creates new thinking, challenges dated practices and helps the business function at its best. 

“Someone coming with a new point of view and life experience is essential to helping us grow and be the best we can be. We can always improve our way of working and our thinking and having young people in the workplace does this.” Markus Offer, Museums Galleries Scotland, Skills Development Manager

Below are some examples of how Museums Galleries Scotland are demonstrating their commitment to the Young Person’s Guarantee and the work they do to improve equality and diversity within the organisation:

- Disability Confident Employer Level 2
- Living Wage Employer
- Accredited Investors in People (Gold)
- Host fortnightly Mental Health sessions that are open to all staff and have a bank of resources for all to use
- Member of Closing the Disability Employment Gap PSP – created to work  on inclusive and sustainable employment from recruitment to retainment.
- SQA Accredited Centre and are a Modern Apprenticeship provider
- Continually review their recruitment practice to ensure it is as inclusive as it can be. A small example , they have now started sending out interview questions with the invitation to interview to allow everyone the best opportunity to prepare for the questions.  
- Use multiple referral partners for every role advertised, so that  positions are shared more widely than the usual channels.

Externally they help encourage the museums and galleries sector to have a more inclusive practice when it comes to recruitment. They have recently launched their museum jobs and opportunities page and updated their funding guidelines. The opportunities page allows them to reward good practice by sharing those roles with the sector and support any organisations that don’t comply with their guidance to step up. You can find out more about this here.
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Find out how employers can support Ask 5 of the Young Person’s Guarantee and how you can create a fair and inclusive workplace here.