This paper investigates whether the labour market measure known as wage subsidies, coupled with lifelong learning, contributes to a more democratic museum. The paper begins with an investigation of the historical and political implications of wage subsidies at the Jamtli county museum in Östersund, Sweden. The paper continues by exploring whether lifelong learning and learning at the workplace contribute to further learning and rehabilitation of the persons employed via such labour market measures. The paper concludes with a discussion of whether lifelong learning and labour market measures can contribute to further preservation and mediation of cultural heritage and, furthermore, whether if they can make museums more democratic and accessible. The research was carried out at Jamtli during the spring of 2010, and is based on qualitative interviews and archival studies in the museum in question.
Which firms use targeted wage subsidies? An empirical note for Germany