Summary 

We are the public body that looks after England’s historic environment. We champion historic places, helping people understand, value and care for them. 

Historic England has a fantastic opportunity for you to join us as an Emerging Talent Trainee Placement - Renewed Resilience Digital Project Assistant. The placement would be hosted by Heritage Trust North West based in Barrowford, East Lancashire.

This is a part-time 18 hours per week, 8 week paid Emerging Talent Programme placement. You will be paid a £484.20 per week bursary (pro rata for part-time is £242.10 per week). The hours and days which you work can be flexible. We offer hybrid working where you are based at the Pendle Heritage Centre and from home.

Due to the nature of this placement you will be required to attend office days at the Pendle Heritage Centre, we advise you to look at travel options ahead of applying as we are unable to support relocation.  

Emerging Talent Programme 

Historic England’s Emerging Talent Programme provides paid opportunities to those underrepresented in the heritage sector Emerging Talent Placements Programme | Historic England 

Our training placements are for young people aged 18 to 30 years old across three audiences: 

• Black, Asian, or ethnic minorities 

• Disabled people 

• People who are disadvantaged by their social and/or economic background or circumstances 

Purpose of the Placement 

Heritage Trust North West (HTNW) are part way through their 'Renewed Resilience' project which aims to provide them with a long-term sustainable future. A key strand of the project is creating archives and making digital improvements to the organisation. 

Improving HTNW's online presence is crucial to completing their charitable aims and objectives, reaching new audiences and sharing the educational and general public benefits heritage can offer. 

HTNW have delivered many heritage projects since 1978, but none of these are fully recorded or celebrated. With research and digital conversion of their existing paper records and those of other organisations these projects could be brought back to life. This would provide a powerful reminder of the legacy of HTNW’s work, a sense of pride in those locations but also a tool for future generations to realise the value of heritage. 

What you will be doing 

Your main task will be case study preparation (research, writing, digital skills and administration). You will be reviewing a number of HTNW’s projects and buildings, researching their records in paper files as well as saved and scanned digital records, looking for wider information e.g. local press articles from the time, and then producing a case study for each project/ building. You may also be interviewing individual staff members, volunteers or asking for community stories, photos and quotes. 

Your case studies with images will then be added to HTNW's new website in an archive or legacy section that demonstrates the track record of what HTNW have achieved. HTNW will celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2028, so the collection of case studies may be published to highlight their work. There may also be opportunities to bring the case studies to life through interpretation and tours, for example. 

There will also be some opportunities for work shadowing with HTNW, as well as more practical experience (shop, cafe, museum) at HTNW's 2 manned sites in Lancashire. 

Behaviours we are looking for: 

Self-management: Trainee should be able to self-manage their time and use their own initiative whilst at home  

Curiosity – You show an interest in new things and actively seek out new information 

Legacy – You seek to deliver a positive and sustainable impact by creating things that will outlast you 

Writer – You enjoy conveying thoughts and ideas through the written word 

Target Start Date: flexible start date, last week of June would be ideal  

Why complete a placement with Historic England 

Our placements will enable you to gain valuable hands-on experience of working in the heritage sector, developing skills to enable you to take the next steps in your career. 

Once you have completed your Emerging Talent Placement you will be eligible to apply for a 6 month Step-Up placement. These are paid training roles, based within a team for six months full time (part time will be considered). They are specifically targeted for people who have undertaken one of our Emerging Talent Placements over the summer, either this year, or in a previous year. 

These placements are designed to give you that “step up” into a longer paid work in the heritage sector. 

They will also help you develop your essential skills, improving your employability. 

Historic England want all of our candidates to shine in the recruitment process. Please tell us what we can do to make sure you can show us your very best self. You can contact us by email at EmergingTalent@HistoricEngland.org.uk if you have any recruitment queries.  

How to Apply: 

At Historic England we use a hiring system called Applied. Applied is a behavioural science-backed recruitment platform that reduces bias, improves quality of hire and increases diversity. We do not use CV application for the majority of our hiring processes. You will answer a selection of questions that allow our hiring teams to test your skills and suitability for the role. 

At Historic England, we value the expertise and individuality each candidate brings and want to hear about this in your own words. If you require the use or AI tools or other resources to support your application, we ask that all information is factually accurate, original, and reflects your own experience. To best represent yourself, we encourage you to write in your own words and use AI-generated content only as inspiration—not as direct input.