Twenty successful museum applicants have been announced for Museums Galleries Scotland's Intern Programme for 2013/14.

The programme is aimed at graduates from a range of disciplines and backgrounds as a paid alternative to postgraduate study and a route of entry for employment in museums.

MGS provides support for the host museums, monitors and evaluates programmes and identifies opportunities for skills sharing.

Recruitment of 20 interns will begin this month with placements to begin in September running through to August next year.

MGS chief executive, Joanne Orr, said: "We developed our Interns Programme to secure a sustainable future for skills sharing within the sector.

"The programme's success can quite simply be put down to the fact that it meets both the sectors' and the interns' needs."

In 2011 the programme attracted 3,200 hopeful applicants.

This year's host museums are:

The University of Aberdeen: Museum Intern (Collections)

Dumfries and Galloway Council: Collections Intern

University of Dundee: Museum Collections Intern

East Ayrshire Council (Dick Institute): Collection Care Intern

City of Edinburgh Council Museums and Galleries: Volunteer Co-ordinator Intern

University of Edinburgh: Collections Intern

Fife Cultural Trust (Kirkcaldy): Museum Collections Intern

Fife Cultural Trust (Pittencrief/Dunfermline): Volunteer Co-ordinator Intern

Glasgow Life (GoMA): GENERATION young people audience engagement and co-production Intern

Glasgow Life (Glasgow Museums Resource Centre): Volunteer & Placement Co-ordinator Intern

The Hunterian: Natural Sciences Collections Intern

Inverclyde Council (McLean Gallery): Learning & Outreach Intern

National Museums Scotland: Partnerships & Access intern

National Trust Scotland: NTS Volunteer Management Internship

Orkney Islands Council and Pier Arts Centre: Gallery & Museums intern

Perth and Kinross Council: Digital & Collections Intern

Scottish Borders Council & Trimontium Museum Trust: Collections and Interpretation Intern

Scottish Maritime Museum: Learning Access intern

South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture: Museum Intern

Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum: Collections and Digital Cataloguing Intern