Museum education officer : Training

The Museums Association (MA) runs various continuing professional development (CPD) schemes:

• The Associateship of the Museums Association (AMA) is open to people from all areas of museum work, whether full-time, part-time, paid or unpaid. It takes two years to achieve and participants have to commit to 70 hours of professional development, or approximately one hour per week.
• The Fellowship of the Museums Association (FMA) is open to people who have worked in museums for at least five years. It aims to recognise and encourage an advanced level of professional contribution. The Fellowship generally takes two to three years to complete, but the time frame is different for each individual.
• CPD Plus is a professional development scheme to help people continue with their development once they have completed the AMA or FMA. Participants must commit to at least 35 hours of CPD a year.

Further details about all the MA's CPD schemes can be obtained from the MA website.

The Group for Education in Museums (GEM)  provides training opportunities through an annual conference focusing on a particular current education theme, a programme of training days throughout the UK and regular area meetings that explore relevant issues and developments and encourage networking.

engage (the National Association for Gallery Education)  is a membership organisation that represents gallery, art and education professionals, and provides a range of CPD including informal area group meetings, an annual conference and seminar programme and opportunities for international contact and exchange.

A variety of in-service courses are run by area museum councils, the MA, specialist groups and private training providers, many of which are available to voluntary staff.