This year 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 two initial kickstart post holders, Alistair Gemmel and Dylan Philpot, are now ready to leave the MSDS Marine team to embark on their future careers. Its been a valuable experience for them, and for the rest of the team, and we with them every success in the future. We are now really looking forward to welcoming more kickstarters in 2022.
In this blog, Alistair and Dylan share how they have spent their time at MSDS Marine and reflect on some of what they have learnt.
Alistair Gemmel – My Time at MSDS Marine
From June 2021 to December 2021, I have had the privilege of working for MSDS Marine on a Kickstart placement as a Trainee Project Officer. During the last six months, I have gained excellent experience and skills within a wide variety of work related to maritime archaeology and offshore development and management. With a background not in archaeology, I anticipated a lot of new information and processes to learn, but I relished this opportunity with so many new areas and skills to explore which I can carry forward into my career.
As an important part of my training, I have learnt how to produce reports which inform clients such as offshore-wind companies about the archaeological background of an area and the potential for archaeology. The work enables appropriate mitigation measures to be carried out to avoid disturbing any remains. This has included producing desk-based assessments and written schemes of investigation (WSIs) using multiple information resources such as online data repositories, books, and journals. Within these tasks, I have learned to assess Palaeolandscapes and maritime archaeological potential. This has involved extensive background reading and research in which I have discovered topics I have never come across before but have thoroughly enjoyed learning about, such as human migration patterns and the evolution of boat building technology from prehistory to modern time.
For much of my work I have used the mapping software QGIS. This was a key area where I wanted to further develop my skills during my placement and I have definitely been able to achieve this. For example, I have used QGIS to review geophysical data (e.g. multibeam and side scan sonar) to assess an offshore area for archaeology. This includes importing the geophysical data, adding grids and looking through the survey area for anything potentially anthropogenic which may need to be avoided during activities or development. Then, creating shapefiles of any contacts which I identified as being potentially anthropogenic, recording multiple parameters such as width, length and a general description. Moreover, I gained valuable experience in digitising using GIS when I created an updated site plan for the Bronze Bell wreck site in Wales for colleagues out on fieldwork.
I have also gained experience in managing the underwater heritage of the UK, which forms an important part of the work MSDS Marine does. For example, I researched and read key papers and management documents and collated information relating to the North Sea Prehistory Research & Management Framework; a key document relating to heritage management of palaeolandscapes in the North Sea. I was then given the opportunity to attend a webinar linked to this fascinating topic, on the “Drowning of Doggerland”, which further enhanced my understanding.
As part of my ongoing continued professional development, I have been able to undertake external and internal training opportunities. I have completed Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MoRPHE) training from Historic England and training in the Protocol for Archaeological Discovery (PAD). I have also participated in online courses from the Open University such as ‘Managing Coastal Environments’.
One of my favourite projects involved reviewing ROV footage which showed two shipwrecks in the proposed development area of a wind farm. Not only was it amazing to see underwater footage of the wrecks and work toward trying to identify them, but I gained a great insight into managing offshore projects when it isn’t always plain sailing! (Pun intended).
I have absolutely loved my time with MSDS Marine, and I would like to say a huge thank you to the whole team (including office mascots Jack and Evie) for providing me with this opportunity and for being so welcoming and supportive. I have learnt and developed a multitude of transferable skills which I will take forward into my career whether that happens to be in the heritage sector or elsewhere. I would definitely recommend a Kickstart placement with MSDS Marine to anyone in a similar position looking to gain valuable experience in a fantastic work environment with brilliant opportunities.
Dylan Philpot – December 2021, that came round fast!
My six-month Kickstart Placement with MSDS Marine has come to a close, and it’s been a fantastic experience. I came into the post having very little experience of the heritage industry and now I feel I have a broad understanding of some of the fundamentals of marine archaeology.
I have a much greater appreciation of all the work that goes into offshore development works such as desk-based assessments, written schemes of investigation and geophysical surveys. My time at MSDS Marine has introduced me to all these works and given me the skills needed to undertake them. As part of my placement, I was tasked with undertaking research into prehistoric environments and maritime history, reviewing bathymetric and sidescan sonar data, and synthesising all this information and inputting it into a report.
Researching the prehistoric and maritime history of the UK has been my favourite and a fascinating experience. Seeing the evolution but also the similarities of past persons has been captivating, with considering the shared experience of modern and past humans being an intangible but instinctive feeling.
Researching the prehistoric and maritime history of the UK has been my favourite and a fascinating experience. Seeing the evolution but also the similarities of past persons has been captivating, with considering the shared experience of modern and past humans being an intangible but instinctive feeling.
Outside of the day-to-day business of the company I was also exposed to some fascinating new experiences such as maintaining dive kit, watching professional dive tending and training at Stoney Cove, and attending professional archaeology conferences like the CIFA Innovation Festival.
I’m super grateful for my time with MSDS Marine and would like to say a huge thanks to the whole team for being so welcoming and I am so glad they decided to participate in the kickstart scheme, I’ll take the things I’ve learnt from this experience forward for the rest of my life.
Thank you MSDS Marine!
