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Six Steps to Heaven

Author: Kenneth Aitchison, Created 15/01/2006 21:06:34

Eddie Cochran only managed three steps to heaven, but he died young and archaeology prides itself on being able to see the long view.

Following on from the earlier post about the skills agenda, here's an insight into what the professional institute is aiming to do.

The Institute of Field Archaeologists has established a Training Vision, which set an agenda of six steps of achievement. Through attainment of the outcomes of these six steps, the Institute seeks to recast archaeology as a demonstrably competent profession which can be rewarded appropriately.

1. the roles and levels of responsibility that archaeologists fulfil
2. the skills they need to play those roles
3. the training required to provide the skills
4. the qualifications that demonstrate learning
5. the IFA membership grades that recognise the skills and qualifications
6. the pay and conditions that reward skilled, qualified practitioners

IFA has achieved the first two of these steps, identifying roles and defining skills, and they are currently working intensively on the development of vocational qualifications in archaeological practice. This will be a series of NVQ qualifications at levels appropriate for professionals which will be achieved through the acquisition of evidence of competence which can largely be generated through work. This will also allow for the accreditation of prior learning, and the evidence could also be generated through simulation in training experiences.

 

This model is a framework, a skeleton; it's been around since 2002, and since then work is and has been going on to fill out that skeleton. This work is being led by the IFA, with a number of partners - and with Prospect often being the most engaged and active of those partners.

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