Work Experience Programme

Durham University Library and Collections offer Year 12 Students work experience. Work experience week is an application based programme for those interested in careers in museums, archives, conservation and special collections. Hosted in July 2025. Applications open Easter 2025, more information to come.

Year 12 Work Experience Programme

Durham University Library and Collections offer work experience in July of each academic year, open to Year 12 (or equivalent). We invite applications from post-16 (sixth form and college students) who are interested in learning more about careers in the heritage sector.

During your time with us, you may spend time with staff from a variety of teams such as:

• Archives and Special Collections
• Conservation
• Curatorial
• Learning and Engagement
• Visitor Services

We are a multi-site team, so your work experience will be too! You could be based at:

• Durham Castle
• Museum of Archaeology
• Historic Libraries at Palace Green
• Durham University Archives and Special Collections
• The Oriental Museum

The aim of the work experience is to offer an insight into the careers and opportunities available within the heritage sector, while giving you the chance to contribute to the delivery and development of our services.

Just like a job, we also ask you to complete an online application form to join one of our programmes. If we have more applications than we have places, we use them to select who to make offers of places to.

The programme is a five-day on-site work experience, ran over the course of a week in July each year. Applications will be open to post-16 pupils local to Durham University. Successful applicants must be able to travel to and from our venues for each of the five days. 

For more information, please contact the Learning and Engagement Team. Please note, we do not accept applications by email, only via the online application form when open. 

Application process

Applications for Work Experience 2024 have now closed. We will release the application form for July 2025 in Spring Term 2025.

Please note, you will need permission from your school to take part. If you are under 18, you will also need your parent’s or guardian’s permission.  

Once completed, a member of the Learning and Engagement Team will be in touch with you to let you know if you have been successful or not.