Darlington College partner with The Northern Echo so students can experience working in a newsroom

Journalism students at Darlington College will experience working in the newsroom while on-course as part of a new partnership with The Northern Echo.

Darlington College are teaming up with The Northern Echo so that their journalism students can experience working in a newsroom while on-course.

From September trainees on Darlington College’s NCTJ accredited one-year journalism diploma will combine studies with a weekly newsroom day based at the Echo where they will be able to develop practical skills and see their work published online and in print.

The partnership between Darlington College and The Northern Echo builds on a successful work experience programme which has seen three Darlington trainees secure Echo reporting jobs in the last four years.

Editor of The Northern Echo Peter Barron, an alumni of the NCTJ course at Darlington, said: “There have been strong links going back decades between the NCTJ course and The Northern Echo and I’m delighted that the relationship is being formalised in this way.

“The students will receive invaluable experience of life in a modern, multi-media newsroom and The Northern Echo will benefit from the additional resource. It is a win-win situation.”

The NCTJ journalism diploma study programme includes multimedia reporting and ethics, media law, video journalism for online, public affairs and shorthand.

Two of the current Darlington College students completing their course this month have already landed jobs – one at The Northern Echo and the second as a video reporter at the North east news agency North News and Pictures.

Principal of Darlington College Kate Roe said: “This is an amazing opportunity for the next generation of reporters and we are proud to be in partnership with such a distinguished regional newspaper.”

To search all NCTJ accredited courses, please see here.