Archaeology Labour Market Intelligence: Profiling the Profession 2007–08 is a project designed to gather data about archaeological employment in the United Kingdom.

This information produced will contribute to the development of the profession both at the level of individual organisations and from a wider strategic viewpoint.

Comprehensive archaeological labour market intelligence has been gathered and analysed twice before, in 1997–98 and 2002–03, and this data has been extensively referenced by archaeological employers and organisations in the sector. The results of both surveys are available online at

http://www.archaeologists.net/profession.html

Profiling the Profession 2007–08 will provide archaeologists and their employers with up-to-date information about working in this sector.

Every organisation that employs or commissions archaeologists and others who work with the historic environment in the UK is invited to contribute to this project, including those who are self-employed. As this research will address the whole of the archaeological profession, it will include volunteers (unpaid staff) as well as those in paid employment.

You may receive a copy of this questionnaire addressed to yourself individually; if so, and you were working on a self-employed basis on the survey ‘census’ date of 13 August 2007, please complete the questionnaire as a self-employed person. When answering as self-employed, please treat questions about ‘the organisation’ as being about yourself as a business – and in part 2, which is about post profiles, please enter information about yourself as an employee, entering your taxable income – ie your annual turnover less all business expenses – as your gross salary. If you are both part time self-employed and part time employed, you should fill in a copy for yourself and also ensure that you are included by your employing organisation. If you do not receive a copy of the questionnaire, but you are self-employed, please contact Rachel Edwards, the project consultant, at lmi@archaeologists.net in order to be added to the distribution list and sent a copy.

If you are in employment, please check that your employer has received a copy, and that they are completing it with the details of all staff – including all of those on short-term, temporary or ‘casual’ (zero hours) contracts who were working for the organisation on 13 August 2007.
The more replies that the survey gets, the more accurate a picture can be drawn of the current state of archaeological employment in the UK.
You will notice that questionnaires are anonymous, and only identified by a code number. Specific organisations or individuals will not be identifiable in any publication of the project results. A full archive of all the information received and a full copy of the database used will be deposited with the Archaeology Data Service, but the entries in the archive and any published information will only be identified by the region of the UK where the organisation (or individual) providing the data is based and what type of organisation that is. It will be impossible to connect the data to the organisation or individual that provided it.
The results of the survey will be launched at the IFA Annual Conference for Archaeologists, in Swansea, 18–20 March 2008. The results will be published, both conventionally and electronically, and summaries will also be presented in other relevant publications. Paper copies of the final report will be sent to all organisations that have returned questionnaires.


"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

Has anyone come across this yet? I just discovered it in stumble.

http://www.badarchaeology.net/

Hello all,
I've been asked by some people overseas how to get onto digs in the UK. Could anyone recommend specific projects that welcome foreigners (English speaking), and do high quality work on interesting sites?

Ta,

Tom

freeburmarangers.org

Just wondering if anyone else had noticed that Northamptonshire are advertising for G2 staff at 14142 per annum, despite this being below the BAJR minimum of 14270. WYAS are also advertising for G2/G3 staff starting at 14143. I thought that BAJR had rules about this sort of thing.....

On another note, it seems that units only want to employ staff at G2 level nowadays, to avoid paying G3 wages. Will said units be increasing the salary of their staff to reflect the skills and abilities of archaeologists with more than the G2 requirement of 3 to 6 months experience? Probably not.

Improving Archaeologists’ Pay

In April 2007, the IFA introduced an expanded set of minimum pay recommendations, recognising the fact that pay is only one part of the total employment package and setting minimum standards for working time, holiday and sick pay, and employer pension contributions.

The new pay minima, which are binding on RAOs, are an important step forward but are still based on minimum salary levels which do not compare well with those in other professions. In order to raise minimum pay levels, a robust methodology is needed to allow reliable comparisons to be drawn with salaries in related professions, leading to pay minima which reflect more accurately the qualifications, skills and experience of professional archaeologists.
In order to move this issue forward, the IFA has employed a consultant to facilitate the process of ‘benchmarking’ archaeological salaries against those in other industries.

Frank Price is an experienced human resources consultant with a background advising on job evaluation schemes (amongst other things) at the Conciliation Service ACAS. He will oversee the process and provide independent expert advice to a Project Advisory Board and Working Group comprising representatives of a wide cross section of different interests including the IFA RAO and Working Practices committees and Finds Group, SCAUM, Prospect, BAJR and the Diggers’ Forum.

Over the coming months, the working group will be identifying a range of archaeological posts to use as comparators and gathering data on salaries and entry requirements for them. These ‘benchmark’ posts will then be assessed using job evaluation techniques so that they can be compared objectively to similar posts in other professions. The sectors currently being considered as comparable are engineering, planning, environmental management, other areas of the heritage sector, surveying and architecture although others may be suggested along the way. The information from this comparison will be used to inform future revisions to the IFA minimum salaries. If, as we suspect, the results indicate that archaeologists’ qualifications and skills are not being reflected accurately in their pay, significant increases in the IFA minimum salary levels will be subject to extensive consultation and staged over a number of years.

The timetable for the project is to complete data gathering over the summer and analysis in September, with the aim of reporting preliminary results at the IFA AGM on October 1.

Other initiatives on pay and conditions like the Diggers’ Forum Campaign for a Living Wage, SCAUM’s recently published statement of good practice and the revised BAJR pay levels are increasingly putting pressure on the archaeological sector to deal with the issue of pay. Although there are many factors contributing to low pay, we are confident that real progress will have been made before the 2008/9 pay minima are announced next year.

BAJR Note:


You can be assured that I am working with everyone on this and we are all pushing the same way... this is really happening, and is happening right now... we are all putting in a lot of time, effort and work... I was yesterday at another meeting in London... up at 5am.. back at midnight... just so we can drive it forward... this is looking good... so hold tight!


"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

According to http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/programming/...drama.html

the Beeb are going to make a new drama set around the exciting world of history and archaeology:face-huh:

Quote:quote:BBC Drama has commissioned a new drama series based on the world of archaeology.

Bone Kickers will be a six-part drama for BBC One. The programme has been conceived by Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah - co-creators of Life On Mars - along with Michele Buck and Damien Timmer of Mammoth Screen.

Set in Bath, an excavation team aim to uncover artefacts which they hope will unlock the mysteries of the past. Lead character Gillian, a fiery Celt, has to battle against her academic nemesis, the arrogant, urbane TV historian Daniel Mastif, in a race find a much sort-after artefact, a quest which drove her own mother insane.

http://news.bbc.co.uk:80/1/hi/entertainment/6968568.stm

The creators of hit Life on Mars are to make an archaeological drama series for the BBC.
Bone Kickers, written by Ashley Pharoah and Matthew Graham, will be filmed in Bath later this year and is due to be screened on BBC One next spring.

The drama, which has yet to be cast, focuses on a team whose historical investigations unlock potential dangers and mysteries in the present.

Life on Mars, which finished earlier this year, is being remade for US TV.

In the UK, a sequel to the time-travelling police drama is being made with Spooks star Keeley Hawes.

Called Ashes to Ashes, it will see Philip Glenister reprise his role as politically incorrect DCI Gene Hunt.

'Exciting

Polly Hill, the BBC's commissioning editor for independent drama, said Bone Kickers would make history and archaeology "sexy, accessible and exciting".

Each episode will deal with a different historical period, including the excavation of murdered 18th century slaves and the discovery of the True Cross.

The drama's central character, Gillian, is pitted against her arch-rival, TV historian Daniel Mastif, in the hunt for an archaeological treasure.

Their race will form the backdrop of the first series' climax.


:face-huh: Nothinig like dealing with the humdrum reality of archaeology...

Mark Crook... owner of a small contracting company cuts the tender to the bone to get a drop of MegaBuck Arch Company with hilarious consequesnces.. watch 5 exciting episodes as Spud and Crusty watch a JCB find absolutly nothing in over 400 eval trenches!! then bggr off to the pub!





"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

Having worked for a number of units, I've seen a variety of terms and conditions, and would like to see what priority people place on which parts of the employment package.

For me, in order of importance, I would choose:

1.Working with capable, intelligent, enthusiastic (and preferably experienced) people. This creates a good working atmosphere, and the archaeology usually gets dug and recorded well.

2.Parity (or better!) in sick leave and holiday with those on similar grades in the organisation not in the field or who have gained permanent status through having stuck with a single employer long enough. I find it very demoralising being in a lower tier of benefits to people doing the same or lesser jobs than myself.

3. More than legal minimum sick leave and paid leave, short as possible weekly hours and as many tea breaks as possible! (I'm not really lazy...)

4. A 'good' wage (and pension?). No one in archaeology is overpaid, though there is a huge difference in being on the comfort threshold on around £18k, and struggling to pay for essentials on £14k. I would like to see my ability and experience rewarded rather than starting at the bottom of the pile if I switch employers.

5. Employer flexibility. I'd like to be able to take my holiday when I want, or maybe do a few days in the office here and there if my back niggles, or I need to pop to the doctor/dentist/bank etc..

6. Competent, trustworthy, management that communicates transparently with staff. I like to feel trusted to get on with my job, but also know there is someone I can go to for support when I do encounter problems.

7. Job security. Not so important for me, if I have an employer with all the points above, I'll stick around for them.

8. Training. Again not so important for me as I feel comfortable doing most things required in the field, though I would like the opportunity available if I ever want to move sideways or upwards.

I've generally found smaller units associated with Universities and Councils tend to have more of the things I want, though through the nature of their size they often have the downside of shorter contracts and worse job security and flexibility than larger units.

If you want to stay connected to all of the latest archaeology news directly in your browser, please download the latest Online Archaeology toolbar:



Its on my machine now.. and works a treat!

http://onlinearchaeology.ourtoolbar.com/

download.. installs in seconds.. works right away...

go for it

Cheers to Steve at Online Archaeology

"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

How are people getting on with the crossword? I've got a good feeling this time, think I'm going to win it. The trowel will be mine.

Careful, it might be hallucinogEeEe**33nnnn..