Discovering the Archaeologists of Europe

[BAJR Host]

http://www.discovering-archaeologists.eu/

Found this website today... for the life of me I can't quite work out what it is about... Discovering the Archaeologists of Europe

I did no know they were lost [:p]

seriously though it is

quote:a transnational project, examining archaeological employment and barriers to transnational mobility within archaeology across ten countries of the European Union.

:face-huh:

but ... er what are they looking at? I searched for some hard details, but drew a blank... but then I am sloppy!

Surely the barriers are er... well... there are not supposed to be any are there? Apart from ability in archaeology and being able to fill in a context card in the language of choice? Perhaps I am just cynical, but then it dos look like a nice trip around Europe... I vote me onto the next committee [:p]

If anyone can come up with a good explanation I am seriously interested. given the influx of European archaeologists into the UK and visa versa. I would like to know the outcomes and the reasons behind this.... it may make interesting reading

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

[Paul Belford]

From the website (minutes of the Ljubljana meeting in September last year)...

”This project seeks to improve understanding of the requirements for, and capacity to provide, transparent qualifications for archaeologists across Europe.

"The project has a number of objectives at both European and individual state levels
• to identify barriers to entry to the profession of archaeology and to transnational mobility
• to identify labour market information and trends, including training investment, recruitment and career progression difficulties
• to establish the number of archaeologists working in each state
• to identify training needs and skills shortages
• to provide archaeological employers with information to aid business planning and improve organisational performance

"It will achieve these objectives by identifying, collecting and disseminating information on archaeologists and archaeological employment across Europe (labour market intelligence), in order for employers, professional associations, the European Association of Archaeologists, training providers and other bodies
• to develop knowledge of practices and conditions in order to facilitate transnational mobility of labour
• to define specific criteria and methodologies to identify training needs across Europe
• to improve analysis and anticipation of skills requirements
• to enable comparisons between skills requirements in states

"Currently this kind of information is unavailable in most individual states and has never been collected or applied on a transnational basis before."


As I understand it (and I am happy to be corrected by someone who is more closely connected to the project than I am), this boils down to assessing the differences in training and skills between archaeologists in different countries, and then in attempting to harmonise the profession across the EU. Thus there will be parity between different levels in the profession. So a Belgian Project Officer (for example) has more or less the same skills, training and experience as an English Project Officer and can do an equivalent job.

All of which will become more and more relevant as the European market for archaeological services opens up further. Precisely in fact because of, as you say, "the influx of European archaeologists into the UK and visa versa", and the need to ensure that standards (both of employment practice and archaeological practice) are upheld.

The main weakness of this particular effort as far as I can see is that the grouping excludes France, the Iberian countries, Italy and Scandinavia.


[url]http://paulbelford.blogspot.com/"[/url]

[BAJR Host]

Thanks Paul...

Though the thought of harmonising a Euro wide archaeology profession does make my sides ache with joy... even in the UK we can't decide what a Supervisor is for example! Please let the IFA/PROSPECT/BAJR?DF Benchmarking process bring some harmony...



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