YMLAC

YMLAC is the regional development agency for museums, libraries and archives in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The role of the Council (YMLAC) is to provide strategic leadership, advocacy, advice and support to assist and encourage museums, libraries and archives to maximise their individual and combined impact on enhancing the learning, economic, cultural and social progress of the region.

In partnership with governing bodies in the region, YMLAC will:

• Act as advocate for the sector to promote the contribution that museums, libraries and archives bring to fulfilling key local, regional and national policy objectives within educational, economic, social and cultural development
• Sustain and develop the collections, cultural assets and services that museums, libraries and archives provide, many of which are unique and irreplaceable
• Broker and support collaboration and partnerships within and across the three domains and with others
• Support and promote organisational and professional change and skill development in order to create and maintain robust and sustainable provision
• Increase the resource base for the three domains

To this end we offer help through the provision of a wide range of specialist advice and an extensive programme of training events, covering the skills needed to achieve the high standards we would like to see throughout the region. We also provide funding support in the form of grant-aid for various projects and/or advice on how to access other external funds, such as lottery, European funds or various training bodies.

The Council also aims to represent the interests and views of its member museums, libraries and archives to other bodies at local, regional, national and international level.

YMLAC is supported and core funded by The Council for Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) and is also supported by its own members.

The ITT Project

This project fits under our strategic aim to develop a 'comprehensive service to schools' through partnership with the formal education sector. This project has been supported over three consecutive years by the Teacher Training Agency Regional Partnership Project in Yorkshire and Humberside.

The broad aims of the project have been to:

• Involve museums, libraries and archives in initial teacher training as 'settings other than schools' where quality assured and evaluated placements can take place
• Increase participation in ITT via
  • developing placements in extra school venues
  • increasing capacity through KS1 And KS5 placements
  • development of systems and models to enhance ITT training
• Investigate and develop new models of training in ITT

The project is managed by Jael Edwards, Education and Lifelong Learning Manager.