As part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week, Isobelle talks about her experience as a Crannog apprentice, and her future plans!
Hi, I’m Isobelle, I’m, and apprentice at the Scottish Crannog Centre. Before coming to the crannog, I was finishing my first year of sixth form but wasn’t enjoying it or getting the grades I was wanting. I then saw that the crannog was advertising a customer service apprenticeship and thought it could be more beneficial. So, I applied and three months later I was living and working in Scotland, which I wasn’t expecting as I was in Yorkshire.
While working at the crannog I have found that colour of textiles is my favourite topic and figuring out how they would have made dyes naturally. I have also started research on prehistoric glassmaking and hope to do this then turn it into a workshop. I have presented (and sung) to over a hundred people in the museum and heritage sector about what museums need to do to improve. I’ve helped organise the Yule event alongside the other apprentices, for this I was the event coordinator, I took lead of the meetings and wrote the minutes, which I sent out afterwards, so everyone understood what was going on. I am now in charge of the Young Archaeology club, they come to the crannog monthly and I organise what they learn on each day making sure its relevant to out collection but also keeping it fun and engaging. I’m also involved in the music events such as Crannog Craic every week performing to lots of different people.
Since being at the crannog I now want to go on to being a museum curator and I have done one online archaeology course and next year I’m doing a year long experimental archaeology course with University College Dublin alongside hopefully starting a craft fellowship at the crannog next year. Earlier today I spoke at the Museum Futures Summit hosted by the British Museum on what it means to be an apprentice, and how it has helped both me and the wider museum sector. I really believe that this gives people like me a real opportunity to have a career in museums through a different pathway.
The Crannog and this apprenticeship has had a massive impact on me and my future because its made me realise what I want to do in the future and working here is giving me the opportunities to get there.
