Expert guidance: Parliament in recruitment drive for new tour guides
2 min read
The Palace of Westminster is recruiting a team of new, professional tour guides. Here’s how MPs can help
Parliament will soon be changing the way it provides both free and paid-for guided tours – and our new approach has real potential for increasing the diversity of our front-line ambassadors, while creating 28 new full and part-time jobs.
Members within striking distance of London, as well as peers, can help us by publicising the opportunity to work for Parliament within constituencies and through other networks. We know that people often have no idea of the fantastic variety of jobs available in Parliament – and being a tour guide is a great way in.
From October we will move from our current model, which relies on a mix of casual contracts with no guaranteed hours, in-house Visitor Assistants and outsourcing commercial tours to Blue Badge Guides through a contractor, to a model that creates 28 new full and part-time jobs to undertake all the different types of tours that Parliament offers. As well as creating permanent jobs, the new model will also save public money.
One of the benefits of moving to a core team of directly employed guides is that it gives us the opportunity to attract a diverse range of applicants. We’d love our guides to reflect the diversity of the UK, exemplifying the openness and inclusivity at the heart of our values.
The opportunity to join Parliament as a guide will open in April and we are keen to ensure that a wide range of people hear about it and feel encouraged to apply.
Of course, one fixed point is that the jobs themselves are in London. We are recruiting talented people for their potential to do a great job, and all professional training will be provided. We will use our community networks and social media to promote the opportunities and the roles will feature prominently at Parliament’s next recruitment fair on 19 April in Westminster Hall.
We would welcome the support of members and peers in promoting this opportunity to embark on a career in Parliament. Successful applicants will be offered a very competitive salary, great benefits of employment and internal opportunities to build a career with us.
If you would like to hear more about how you can help promote the tour guide role or Parliament’s recruitment fair within constituencies or elsewhere please contact John Thursfield, Guided Tours Review Manager, at thursfieldj@parliament.uk or on 020 7219 5465.
Penny Young is the House of Commons MD for Participation
PoliticsHome Newsletters
Get the inside track on what MPs and Peers are talking about. Sign up to The House's morning email for the latest insight and reaction from Parliamentarians, policy-makers and organisations.
