Angela Puggioni is DPC's Community Engagement Manager
As the year edges toward its close, many of us take a moment to reflect on what we’ve learned and the progress we’ve made. With that spirit in mind, we’re continuing the DPC Festive Knowledge Wrap: a four-week series throughout December that highlights different parts of the Coalition’s work, and the people who make it possible.
Last week, we unwrapped the first December Gift by spotlighting the places where DPC members meet, connect, and exchange ideas throughout the year. This week, we turn to something just as essential: strengthening the skills, confidence, and capacity of the digital preservation community. In this blog I've highlighted some of the ways the DPC supports workforce development year-round.
None of this happens in isolation. The DPC’s programmes only work because of the energy, generosity, and expertise of the community: our Members, Supporters, friends and colleagues across the world who share knowledge, encourage one another, and shape the digital preservation field together.
The DPC Career Development Fund (CDF)
The CDF remains one of DPC's most appreciated programmes, giving our Members the chance to attend events, coures, workshops, training, and conferences through fully funded grants. Thanks to the generosity of our DPC Supporters - and the input we receive from our Members - the Fund helps digipres colleagues take up development opportunities they might not otherwise be able to access. Since it began, the CDF has awarded more than 200 grants across all regions, supporting learning in areas like digital forensics, audiovisual preservation and risk assessment.
We’ll continue to expand these opportunities in 2026, with new grants released throughout the year.
Our ongoing partnership with The National Archives (UK) means we can keep offering practical, high-quality training to the wider digital preservation community. The N2KH programme gives you an on-demand, structured way to build and put digital preservation workflows into practice within your organization. With four courses available, N2KH has become a trusted go-to for colleagues in many regions and roles. And the best part? Every course is completely free: for both members and non-members.
DPC Competency Audit Toolkit (CAT)
CAT supports organizations in understanding and assessing the skills of staff involved in digital preservation. The toolkit offers a clear, structured process for reviewing current capabilities against the competency areas and skill elements set out in the DPC Competency Framework. Development of CAT has been supported by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, and it is freely available for anyone to use! A new version was released in April 2025, strengthening its relevance and practical value for teams of all sizes. If you haven’t explored the updated version yet, this is a great moment to take a look.
As you unwrap the best of 2025, I hope it inspires you to think about your own learning journey: what you’ve discovered this year, the skills you’ve strengthened, and the areas you’d like to explore in 2026. And if you’re not yet a DPC Member but would like to access these and other opportunities regularly, we’d be delighted to welcome you.
Next week, we’ll continue our December Knowledge Wrap with a focus on the tools, resources, and guidance that help the digital preservation community put good practice into action. Stay tuned!