A new training scheme is being launched to ensure Scotland’s industrial heritage is preserved for generations to come.

The Powering Our People project, by Industrial Museums Scotland, will see new recruits trained up in specialist techniques such as paper conservation and the maintenance of historic machinery.

The £230,000 scheme is being introduced in response to a skills review which revealed that funding cuts in recent years have led to fewer staff and an increasing shortage of specialist training in the sector.

It is hoped that the move will help to ensure the preservation of artefacts and collections at key museums and conservation sites such as Discovery Point in Dundee, the National Mining Museum in Midlothian and New Lanark World Heritage Site in South Lanarkshire.

Announcing the project, David Mann, chair of Industrial Museums Scotland, said it will ensure its museums’ collections can be enjoyed by generations to come.

He said: “We are grateful to funders for supporting this major legacy project for Scotland’s industrial museums.

“Key skills will be gained and shared within the workforce and the care of Scotland’s amazing and nationally important industrial heritage will become more sustainable into the future.”

The project is being funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Museum Galleries Scotland, the Pilgrim Trust, Historic Environment Scotland, the Headley Trust and the Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust.

It will see a conservator and an industrial conservation intern hired to work alongside 100 employees and volunteers to develop skills in the care of large industrial objects, important paper archives and historic engines.

The scheme will use the expertise of groups such as the Scottish Railway Preservation Society.

Industrial Museums Scotland hopes that it will ensure its 14 member museums have a trained and knowledgeable workforce equipped to care for their nationally significant collections going forward.

The scheme will also benefit the wider industrial heritage sector by creating online resources and enabling workplace exchanges and shadowing of trained staff.

Caroline Clark, Scotland director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Scotland’s industrial heritage, from ship-building to coal-mining, is a vital part of our nation’s story, and it is essential that we keep the skills alive to care for the important industrial heritage collections we hold around the country.

“We are delighted that, thanks to funding from National Lottery players, we have been able to support the Powering Our People project to ensure the continued preservation of collections, and of traditional skills, for years to come.”

Lucy Casot, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland, added: “We’re delighted to support Industrial Museums Scotland with this important project that focuses on upskilling their teams.

“This emphasis on workforce development will help build the resilience of their member museums and continue to tell the story of Scotland’s industrial past.

“Their increase in training opportunities for employees and volunteers will help support the dissemination of skills and knowledge, which will be of benefit to the sector.”

Sue Bowers, director of the Pilgrim Trust, said she was looking forward to seeing the wider learnings of the project and how it can “help address the skills gap throughout the heritage sector”.

She added: “The Pilgrim Trust is delighted to be supporting the Powering Our People project. Preserving specialist conservation skills and championing conservation training is one of the Trust’s priorities. These skills and knowledge are an integral part of conserving Scotland’s rich industrial heritage. “

Amy Eastwood, head of grants at Historic Environment Scotland, said the organisation was pleased to contribute £14,712 to the project as part of its Historic Environment Support Fund.

She added: “By training the next generation, we are helping to ensure that our historic environment is protected for the future.”

Industrial Museums Scotland is a federation of independent industrial museums with venues across Scotland.

It aims to ensure that the country’s industrial heritage continues to play an important role in inspiring the future and safeguarding the past.

Its members care for 13 collections recognised as being of national significance by the Scottish Government.

These include artefacts from a wealth of Scottish industries, including fishing, shipbuilding, textiles, agriculture, coal and lead mining, engineering, iron and steel production and transport.