Internship policy

LMA welcomes public participation in its work and welcomes people from the diverse communities in London (particularly those traditionally under-represented in archives) and further afield, regardless of gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, religious/political belief or disability to participate in internships.

An internship would typically be filled by someone who is interested in developing a career in the cultural sector, specifically in archives / conservation / heritage image management / heritage interpretation or any other related area of LMA’s work. 

This policy is applicable to interns only, and not to volunteers, young people on work experience or apprentices. 

An intern is defined as someone working alongside staff, usually as part of a specific project for a specified period of time, and is fully compensated as a City of London Corporation member of staff.

For the avoidance of doubt: 

1. A volunteer is someone who, without compensation, or expectation of compensation beyond reimbursement of expenses incurred in the course of volunteer duties, contributes towards a defined programme of activity at the direction of and on behalf of LMA.  Typically, volunteer activities are deliberately planned to 'add value' to what LMA can offer and not replicate the work of staff
2. Someone on work experience is a person who has a short period (less than three weeks) of unpaid work at LMA, working alongside staff and learning basic and essential elements of work. Frequently, this can be part of a post 16 education / skills course.
3. An Apprentice is someone working towards a qualification on a national Apprenticeship Standard; LMA as part of the City of London Corporation regularly provides placements for Apprentices.

LMA believes that internships should be properly acknowledged and compensated, at the London Living Wage or equivalent. Therefore it does not host unpaid or unsupported internships and most internships at LMA are managed as staff fixed term contracts or as paid placements supported by an externally funded scheme.

Internships run for a fixed period of time, often 12 months, but rarely more than 15 months: so interns work on fixed term contracts.

There are several ways LMA hosts internships: 

1. LMA runs its own internship programmes whereby interns are recruited, usually for 12 months, and employed as members of City of London staff. These programmes will run whenever funds allow and the number of internships will necessarily vary from year to year. 
2. LMA applies for external funding to run internships as opportunities allow. LMA always seeks to ensure people appointed to these programmes are properly and appropriately supported. It is likely in these cases that interns would be employed as City of London staff. (Sometimes an internship can be made up of a combination of these two elements). 
3. LMA hosts internships funded directly by external partners - again, with the proviso that these are properly and appropriately supported. In these instances people would be paid / recompensed directly by the external partner / provider. LMA would agree in advance with the external provider the terms and conditions of the placements which should be broadly comparable to those for LMA staff

LMA will seek to ensure people on internships are given proper skills-based training, generally provided in-house. Interns will be given opportunities to learn about working as professionals within the sector.

Interns will work under professionally qualified supervisors who will monitor their progress and training.

The City of London will indemnify interns and hold them free from civil liability to any person as the result of personal injury, loss or damage arising from the execution of tasks assigned to them on its premises on the same basis as all other staff.