The Scottish Government will provide £80,000 to establish a Skills Development Fund, which has been developed by Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS).

Applications of up to £20,000 will be considered for the fund, which opens 1 April and will cover activities such as board development, mentoring, fact-finding visits, skills sharing and exchanges.

Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "The Scottish Government is committed to supporting training and improving the job prospects of Scots to help build the economy."

Meanwhile, applications are now open for museums to take part in MGS's Interns Programme for 2013/14 - now in its second year.

Twenty one-year internships will be provided as part of the programme, with institutions involved in the inaugural scheme included the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, National Trust for Scotland and the National Mining Museum.