With our first Trainee and Graduate Archaeologists due to walk through our doors at the end of the month, we wanted to take a moment to introduce our Training Team - experts in all types of archaeological fieldwork, with a combined experience of over 50 years:

AMY ATKINS
Amy leads our CIfA-accredited Early Careers programmes. She has considerable experience in delivering internal projects and in operations, having previously managed London’s large field team and Processing department. Amy is passionate about broadening access to careers in archaeology and hopes these opportunities will give people the skills, knowledge, experience, and confidence they need to join the profession.

CLAUDIA TOMMASINO: 
As MOLA’s Field Training Officer, Claudia coordinates the delivery of the programmes. She has extensive experience in training people of all backgrounds, including new-to-sector archaeologists, graduates, and those joining MOLA for the first time. She has played a crucial role in previous programmes, including traineeships on the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme and an Early Career Osteologist programme on HS2. Prior to working as a Trainer, Claudia was a MOLA supervisor in our London office and worked as an animal bone specialist in Ireland.

CAROL SIMMONDS
An Assistant Project Manager in our Northampton office, Carol has over 19 years’ experience in the archaeological sector, in both the UK and Ireland. She has worked on complex sites of all periods, and has significant experience in post-excavation reporting and publication work. She is a skilled illustrator and has a particular interest in earthwork surveying. Carol is also a qualified British Rowing Session coach and National Umpire, giving her skills in teaching which she regularly utilises at MOLA.

EBEN COOPER: 
Eben started his career as a Graduate Archaeologist following the completion of his masters degree, quickly progressing to supervising archaeological teams and delivering training for new Graduates. He is now an experienced Archaeologist in MOLA’s London office, and has worked on a wide range of sites including being in the supervisory team which excavated a significant Elizabethan playhouse in Whitechapel.

JIM FAIRCLOUGH: 
As a Project Officer in our Northampton office, Jim has supervised numerous large and complex projects, including multi-period sites on the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Upgrade and an internationally-significant and well-preserved Anglo-Saxon cemetery. He leads diverse teams and continuously mentors less experienced archaeologists, something he also does each summer at the Vale of Pickering field school (run by the University of Chester and University of Manchester). Jim is confident speaking about archaeology to the public, in lectures, and in the media, with considerable experience in all three.

SUSAN PORTER: 
Susan has over ten years’ experience supervising archaeological sites across the UK - including large rural excavations and infrastructure sites - and currently works as a Project Officer based in MOLA’s Basingstoke office. Susan regularly delivers talks and creates digital content to engage the public on archaeology and encourage participation, and runs an annual Roman Army School conference in Durham.

You can find more information about our exciting CIfA-accredited Early Careers Programmes here, and you can contact the team at training@mola.org.uk.

News Training