Heritage Trainee

We want to recruit 10 trainees to take part in a new heritage project called Our Global London. This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking to develop a career in the heritage, museums or wider arts & cultural sector. No previous experience is required. We particularly encourage applications from studying in the London Borough of Newham, but the opportunity is open to anyone.

Through Our Global Thames, Trainees use selected mudlark finds to examine the history of London and the Thames through the lens of three, closely entwined concepts - trade, migration and empire – and respond to key research questions:

• What can objects found on the Thames foreshore tell us about London’s global connections in the past?

• How can mudlarked objects shed light on the arrival and formation of migrant communities in London

• How can mudlarking engage and inspire London’s underrepresented communities who may not consider heritage to be “for them”?

Trainees will be paid London Living Wage (£14.80/hr).

• We provide a 15-day paid traineeship programme based at Cody Dock in Newham. Learning outcomes will cover key heritage practices such as object handling and conservation, GIS/digital mapping, exhibition curation and archival research. You will benefit from a tailored programme of heritage experiences including visits to The Portable Antiquities Scheme at London Museum Docklands, The London Archives, Newham Archives, the National Maritime Museum, the Institute of Historical Research, and Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA).

• We will publish Trainees’ independent research in a printed book

• Trainees can participate in public engagement events as part of Totally Thames festival 2026

• Trainees access mentoring sessions with professionals to help guide progress into further employment.

• Trainees can share experiences via a peer-to-peer learning group

• Trainees can apply for a 3-month paid skill-development internships within 3 partner heritage organisations (3 internships are available in total).