A New Qualification for Conservation Support staff 

Icon responded to a request from a consortium of interested employers in 2007 to devise a new qualification - recognising the high level of skills and knowledge of those who work in support of conservators. The successful pilot ran with 14 candidates from a range of backgrounds. A second pilot phase with 20 candidates will finish later in 2010. 

The Phase 2 prospectus :

 CTQ Prospectus Pilot Phase 2 931.50 Kb

 CTQ Prospectus Pilot Phase 2 86.14 Kb

Read the NEW 2010 Pilot Handbook here - introduction and guidance 

Read about the NEW 2010  Qualification Structure here

Read the NEW 2010 Candidate guide

Read the NEW 2010 Appeals procedure here

Phase 2 Forms
Candidate registration form:     ctqregistration2008 25.97 Kb

Candidate assessment record NEW 2010:  

 2010assessmentrecord 189.00 Kb  2010assessmentrecord 116.68 Kb

Current Candidate Blog: http://textile-conservation.blogspot.com/

Objectives The aims of a new conservation technician qualification are to:

• Develop the diversity of applicants entering the profession
• Pave the way for future academic study, professional development and  eventual  accreditation
• Give technicians a portable and recognised qualification to take to future employers
• Encourage employers to adopt a common standard for technicians
• Recognise the contribution of volunteers to conservation

What is a Conservation Technician?
A conservation technician undertakes conservation support activities as well as basic conservation procedures under the supervision and guidance of a conservator. Potential applicants can work in a variety of contexts: historic houses, libraries and archives, conservation workshops in major institutions or commercial workshops.  A qualified technician will be able to carry out technical tasks and routine procedures to a high standard, but will not be expected to make more than basic decisions about treatments or preventative measures.  Technicians normally occupy an assistant role in relation to a qualified conservator, although he or she may have considerable autonomy and may be involved in supervising others.

The qualification can also be used for candidates coming straight from school (may take 3-4 years to achieve) or for those who have completed an apprenticeship, or who have come direct from a related area eg. bookbinding, engineering, woodworking or framing. In these cases, training will typically focus on applying skills in context and developing the understanding needed to work in a conservation setting.

Organisations of any size can join the consortium and a fee structure has been developed to reflect the differences in scale. Your organisation should however be able to deliver the training required to meet the standards and at this stage should have sufficient staff  to provide enough internal assessors and mentors for the number of candidates you plan to put forward.

Piloting Phase Two are:

Piloting Phase One

The organisations who worked with Icon to pilot the qualification in Phase 1 were:

• National Trust
• Eura Conservation
• The National Archives
• Tate
• The Bodleian Library

To express interest or obtain more information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it