Course Overview
As a Cultural Learning and Participation Officer in the expanding, exciting area of arts, culture, and heritage you will plan, organise and co-ordinate creative and cultural education programmes. Working to an internal or external brief you will research themes and subjects to create audience appropriate content. The aim of your activities is to enable learning, skills development, wellbeing, social inclusion, and community engagement. Engaging with diverse participants, you will deliver dynamic projects across many platforms, such as teaching, talks, workshops, webinars, social media, digital arts, events, festivals, performances, and visits. Delivery settings may include cultural or community venues, hospitals, prisons, and schools. In this fast-paced, varied role you may be making decisions on venue bookings, appropriate artists, audiences, feedback, fundraising, record-keeping, stakeholder updates, managing budgets, delivering to agreed deadlines and standards. The apprenticeship will typically last 18 months.
What will I learn?
Your employer will provide you with training to meet their specific job requirements. This will include training on how to design and deliver arts-based workshops and events. You will also develop key skills to boost your employability, such as time management, working collaboratively and responding to feedback. You will be assigned a coach/assessor from Wiltshire College & University Centre who will set you four college assignments over 12 months to learn key skills, behaviours, and knowledge for cultural learning and participation, from planning through to delivery. Industry awareness is an essential feature of the course and you will be helped to create a strong portfolio and professional networks in the arts, culture, and heritage industries to aid future employment prospects. You will also learn and reflect on how to work safely under commercial pressures.
You might progress within the same organisation to a more senior role on completion. Alternatively, you might use your portfolio to progress to another role within the arts, culture, or heritage industries. You could progress to a level 4 or above apprenticeship, or a Further or Higher Education course, full-time, or part-time to run alongside your work.
Study, Assessment and Qualifications
On-Programme Phase: (First 12-15 months)
-Four days a week at work in training (80% on-the-job)
-One day a week in learning and training (20% off-the-job). Regular progress reviews, online college assignment delivery (no requirement to travel to college) and workplace visits from your college coach/assessor
Gateway: (12-15 months)
-Your college coach/assessor will help you to prepare your portfolio for End-Point Assessment
End Point Assessment: (15-18months)
-The End-Point Assessment will usually take place over one day with an external assessor and consist of:
-Practical observation with questions and answers
-Professional discussion supported by a portfolio of evidence
Entry Requirements
- Employers will set their own entry requirements
- An enhanced DBS check may be required
- Maths and English GCSE grade C/4 or above. (Alternatively, Functional Skills Maths and English Level 2 with an assigned College lecturer before the apprenticeship completion)
- A genuine passion for creating, designing, and delivering educational experiences. An ability to work independently and as part of a team. To be positive, proactive, ethical, inclusive, and resilient
You must have secured a position with an employer and be ready to start working with them before you can begin your apprenticeship course.
If you already have an employer and they have agreed to put you through an apprenticeship, contact the Apprenticeship team and we'll get you started. Email apprenticeships@wiltshire.ac.uk or call 0845 345 2235.
If you don’t have an employer, you can still apply for an apprenticeship directly - check out our latest apprenticeship vacancies here: https://www.wiltshire.ac.uk/information/apprenticeship-faqs/apprenticeship-vacancies
Additional Costs and Information
There are no direct additional costs for this course, but you may want to purchase some books for further reading. You will need internet access and to supply your own stationery. As an apprentice, you will be employed under contract with the same rights and responsibilities as any other employee. You will be paid at least the minimum apprenticeship wage for your age.
