FIVE graduate jobs will be created in Worcestershire with the help of £148,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The positions will be part of a project called Nurturing Worcestershire’s Treasures.

The jobs will be at the Elgar Birthplace Museum, the Hurd Library at Hartlebury Castle and University Research Collections, Worcester Cathedral Library and Archive, George Marshall Medical Museum and Worcester Porcelain Museum.

The museums and libraries will form a partnership with Worcestershire County Council and the University of Worcester to create the positions. The graduates will specialise in curatorial skills, digital archiving, marketing, creating exhibitions and fund-raising.

After a three-month induction, the graduates, who will be taken on under the university’s current salaried graduate internship scheme, will spend a year on the job while completing a postgraduate certificate.

The scheme is possible after funding from HLF’s skills for the future scheme.

Catriona Smellie, curator of the George Marshall Medical Museum, said: “For us, this project will allow an individual to spend 15 months working on a project that will help ensure the future of the collection by linking it to health targets and agenda.

“For a small, independent museum like this, with a usual staff body of one, the addition of team members is always an exciting thing.”

David Morrison, librarian and archivist at Worcester Cathedral Library, said: “I am delighted that Worcester Cathedral Library will be part of a joint project to teach the skills required for people interested in a career in the heritage sector.”

The 15-month project starts in July and also has the support of VisitWorcester and Ironbridge Gorge Museum.

Anne Jenkins, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the West Midlands, said: “When the recession kicked in we thought very hard about how HLF could make a difference to people’s lives.

“The answer was an innovative and ambitious programme focusing on equipping people with practical skills to help them secure future employment.”

Positions will be advertised online at worcester.ac.uk.