Mary Kinoulty, Head of Learning at the Mary Rose commented on the partnership: “We are very proud of our ground-breaking partnership with the University of Winchester. The graduates who are supported by the University in their placements with The Mary Rose Learning Department have been a wonderful asset to the museum team. It is a great privilege to help these talented graduates to develop a range of workplace skills which will be invaluable in their early career progression. It is gratifying to see the University of Winchester Graduate Educators go from strength to strength as they take their next career steps.”

Charlotte Bailey and Tom Buckemeyer are two Winchester graduates who have benefitted hugely from the partnership. Charlotte is the most recent Graduate Educator to take part in the scheme thanks to the University of Winchester, from where she graduated with a degree in Forensic Studies. After finishing her degree, she said she “Never expected to be part of The Mary Rose crew. The team are truly wonderful and encourage you to pursue your interests and ideas. I have unexpectedly gravitated towards the business and marketing aspects of the role which I really enjoy. With my science background, I am currently working on promoting cross- curricular school visits where science and history can both be explored. This includes running an exclusive workshop offer for Science Week where students can explore the science behind The Mary Rose story.”

Tom Buckemeyer, who now works at the museum, described his experience as “the perfect start after being in full time education. I learned so much about the work that goes on at a museum as well as gaining a real insight into how a business runs. Towards the end of my internship I was fortunate enough to be offered a permanent position at the museum, evolving the skills I gained within my internship. I am now three months into my new roles and the variety of jobs keeps it all very interesting. Without this opportunity it would be very hard to get into this area of business. The partnership has allowed me to jumpstart to a career in the heritage sector and I am grateful to both The Mary Rose and the University of Winchester. I would not have got this far without them.”

Professor Joy Carter CBE, DL, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Winchester, is equally positive about the partnership: “Our fantastic partnership with The Mary Rose is hugely important to us and the benefits to both institutions are enormous. Firstly, the museum offers our students and graduates work placements and internships, giving them invaluable experience as they prepare to embark on their professional careers. We are passionate about equipping our students with the skills and experience they need to progress after they graduate and this is made possible with the support of the museum and other local employers. Secondly, building on our partnership, students have an opportunity to give something back to our local communities through volunteering at the museum. I look forward to our partnership flourishing in the future.”