From 2021 to 2022 and with thanks to the Historic England heritage gateway MSDS Marine have been participating in the Kickstart scheme designed to provide job placements for 16-24 year olds at risk of long-term unemployment. The last six months have flown by and our final kickstart post holder, Paige Churchill-Farmer, is now ready to leave the MSDS Marine team to embark on her future career. It’s been a valuable experience for her, and for the rest of the team, and we wish her every success in the future.
In this blog, Paige shares how she has spent her time at MSDS Marine and reflects on some of what she has learnt.
Paige Churchill-Farmer – My time at MSDS Marine
From September 2021 to March 2022 I’ve been training with MSDS Marine as a trainee project officer with a focus on engagement. My tasks with MSDS Marine have been varied, from helping to write and post blog posts just like this one, to collecting whale bones, to editing pictures for a maritime archaeology themed advent calendar. Throughout all of this, MSDS Marine have helped train me up and get as much experience as I could in a way that honestly never felt like work. I’m walking away now with practical skills, course certificates and a portfolio of projects that I can take with me in my hunt for a role in the heritage sector that seems far more tangible now than it did six months ago.
Having previously volunteered in the museum at my university, I had a rough understanding of the heritage sector but no experience in a professional heritage setting. The team at MSDS Marine quickly made me feel at home and helped me get to grips with the particulars of taking archaeological work to a professional level. It was even more fascinating to come into the role with no prior experience with marine archaeology, and I had never previously considered the huge amount of marine heritage available in the UK. I know for a fact that wherever I go next I will take this newfound awareness of and interest in Britain’s maritime heritage with me. I have now gained certification in several maritime archaeology courses, attended maritime archaeology conferences, and learned how to use vital programs such as QGIS, WordPress and Photoshop.
Outside of the office I was lucky enough to take part in the great MSDS Marine escape to the castle, and picked up some axe throwing and laser shooting skills alongside the more practical desk based ones. Whether I was in or out of the office I could not think of a better team of people to have supporting me, and I am so very grateful to them for this opportunity and the effort they have all put in to making this the most amazing experience. I also want to thank the Nautical Archaeology Society who, through MSDS Marine, allowed me to help compile resources and information for their weekly newsletter and test out their amazing online courses.
