Heritage Careers Week 2026 by Skills Investment Plan Team

Employers Toolkit

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

The Employers Toolkit for Scottish Heritage Careers Week is a practical guide designed to help heritage organisations interact with young people and promote careers in the heritage sector. It provides a range of resources, including suggested activities, social media templates, and guidance on hosting events or workplace visits.

Heritage Careers Week

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

Monday 5 - Friday 9 October 2026

Scottish Heritage Careers Week is a national, cross-sector week of activity to raise awareness of careers in the historic environment sector and tackle misconceptions. There are three key aims of Heritage Careers Week.

Although this week is packed full of engagement activity, with days of focused activity and a social media campaign, the week can also be a platform for even more school engagement with the Heritage Sector further down the line.

Aim 1

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

Raise awareness among young people, parents, and educators, career changers, and people re-entering the workforce, of the breadth of roles and range of pathways available within the heritage sector while addressing common misconceptions.

Aim 2

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

Inspire people to consider a career in heritage and fulfill them useful interesting knowledgeable information and help inspire them to take on a role within this sector

Aim 3

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

Encourage and support employers across the historic environment sector to engage with education. Make employers aware of the impacts and benefits of having an involvement within the educating sector and why it would benefit the environment sector to be involved within this area of work.

Educators, Parents and Carers

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

If you are an educator, career influencer, parent or carer, this Padlet has a variety of resources for you. If you are interested in discovering activity taking place during Heritage Careers Week this year, the sections "Heritage Careers Week Events (online)" and "Upcoming In-Person Events" both of which are open to all. If you want resources you can use all year round to encourage conversations about careers in the heritage sector, a variety of pathways or the historic environment in general, we have a variety of those available in our Heritage Careers Resources section. This includes a couple of toolkits with free online activities and recordings of previous online Heritage Careers Week events and panels.

Educators Toolkit

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

The Educators’ Toolkit for Scottish Heritage Careers Week contains loads of different resources to inform and give young people a good understanding about roles in the heritage sector and to also help teachers introduce students to careers in heritage and help to inspire them to purse a career in it.

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

Click on this image above and you will have access to last years recordings of the DYW Live programme, This a quick little insight to what it may be like for the upcoming year

Careers Profiles

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

The Career Profiles for Scottish Heritage Careers Week booklet contains over 20 role profiles from colleagues working in the Heritage Sector! You can find out about different roles including traditional roles in the heritage sector as well as those hidden roles that you perhaps haven't considered before.

Heritage Skills Online Events

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

We're planning our online events--right now! Check back later to see the full range of events this year. In the meantime, contact skills@hes.scot with any queries.

Young People

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

Whether you are interested in heritage, you are exploring different careers or potential next steps in your journey, there may be something for you in Heritage Careers Week. If you are interested in attending in person activities, you will find a list of these as well as how to book your place in our "Upcoming In-Person Events". If you want to engage with resources at your own pace, we have a variety of those available in the "Heritage Careers Resources" section, from toolkits where you can learn about people's jobs and experiences to recordings of previous year's online sessions

Professionals interested in the week

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

Whether you are a sole trader or a large organisation, Heritage Careers Week can be a great way to engage with young people. In this page you will find an Employers Toolkit with examples of events you can run, how to use the branding, and other useful information.

If you are running an in person event and you would like to promote it in this Padlet or in Marketplace. To add it to the site, please get in touch with skills@hes.scot. Likewise, if you have seen an in-person event advertised that you are interested in learning more about or potentially taking part in, please email skills@hes.scot.

Careers Unpacked

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

This section will equip you with all the tools you need to explore a career in the historic environment sector, make informed and realistic career choices, and discover the different career pathways open to you.

Talking about Heritage

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

What do you talk about when you talk about heritage? Scotland’s heritage belongs to us all – from stone circles and high streets to tenements and schools. It may also be your local park, the venue where you saw the best gig you've ever been to, or the place you picture when you think of home. Heritage makes our communities special and it’s everything we inherit from the past that shapes who we are today as well as influencing our future. Talking About Heritage is a national conversation. If you want to talk to us about heritage, we want to hear from you. What you tell us will have an impact on how we think about and care for heritage in Scotland. What heritage matters to you? How should it be looked after? Join the conversation and help shape the future of heritage policy in Scotland by filling out our survey and joining us online or in person at one of our events.

Hold on, we're cooking something up...

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:53:06 UTC

We're busy planning all the events for Heritage Careers Week 2026. Please keep an eye on this space and check back later. You can contact skills@hes.scot with any queries in the meantime.

People looking to change careers or re-enter the workforce

SIP_team — 2026-05-01 08:57:07 UTC

After the success of Heritage Careers Week 2025, we know many of you are interested in moving into a career in the heritage sector. That's why this year we're expanding our focus from young people, to include people looking to change careers or re-enter the workforce.

This year we're planning a range of in-person and online events aimed at these audiences. If that's you, keep an eye on the events listed in this tablet, as well as on our Historic Environment Scotland social channels and newsletters.

We'll also be publishing updated resources for anyone interest in a career in the heritage sector.