The NCTJ's Journalism Skills Academy works with clients to train and develop their teams in a wide range of skills and expertise
The Journalism Skills Academy works with organisations across the media industry to deliver bespoke training to teach specialized media techniques into actionable skills for leaders, advocates, and communicators looking to master their craft in any industry.
Choosing a Journalism Skills Academy bespoke package equips your team with the skills, knowledge and confidence to perform at the highest level.
Contact the Journalism Skills Academy to find out more about our bespoke courses.
Designed with a journalist’s eye for detail, this program provides high-level professional development that is equally effective for reporters, corporate communicators, and public sector professionals alike.
Bespoke training will equip your team with the ✓ skills ✓ knowledge ✓ understanding to communicate effectively.
As the journalism industry evolves, so too do the skills required to succeed. Our bespoke training programmes are developed in consultation with industry to ensure they reflect current challenges, from digital transformation to emerging technologies.
We work in partnership with organisations to create tailored journalism training that supports both individual development and organisational goals.
Our bespoke courses are designed around your organisation’s requirements. We will work with you to identify skills gaps and develop a programme that delivers practical, relevant learning.
Training can be delivered as:
✓ In-house workshops
✓ Live virtual sessions
✓ Multi-session development programmes
✓ One-off masterclasses
All courses are led by experienced trainers with industry expertise.
Our bespoke journalism courses are suitable for:
✓ News organisations (print, digital and broadcast)
✓ Publishers and media companies
✓ Communications and PR teams
✓ Content and marketing teams
✓ Start-ups and independent publishers
We offer a wide range of journalism training courses to develop skills that can be used across many industries. These can be developed into a bespoke programme for you and your team. These may include:
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The Journalism Skills Academy also delivers leadership training for journalists, supporting editorial managers at all stages of their careers.
Bespoke leadership programmes can cover:
✓ Leadership and management skills
✓ Change management in newsrooms
✓ Building inclusive and effective teams
✓ Strategic planning and decision-making
Training is designed specifically for the newsroom environment and reflects the demands of a fast-paced, deadline-driven industry.
We take a collaborative approach to all bespoke training programmes, working closely with you from initial consultation through to delivery.
Our aim is to ensure that training is:
✓ Relevant to your organisation
✓ Practical and applicable
✓ Aligned with industry standards
This approach has led to long-standing partnerships across the journalism and media sector.
Delivering real results Our training is designed to raise standards and support career development across the industry.
Feedback from organisations consistently highlights:
✓ Improved confidence and capability among staff
✓ Greater understanding of key journalism principles
✓ Stronger performance in fast-changing digital environments
The NCTJ has a long-standing partnership with specialist media company Mark Allen Group, creating a magazine qualification designed for the publisher’s rising stars.
The Level 4 Diploma in Magazine Journalism is aimed at the magazine sector, covering essential skills including media law and feature writing, as well as bespoke modules including the business of magazines.
Company chairman Mark Allen said: “Mark Allen, one of the UK’s most successful independent magazine publishers in the UK, has become a pioneer in establishing with the NCTJ a Level 4 Diploma in Magazine Journalism. Our young journalists, mainly graduates, have derived unbelievable benefit from their NCTJ training. “Since we adopted this training model seven years ago, some 63 young journalists have been awarded this NCTJ Level 4 qualification.
“It is very gratifying to see the skills of many of our journalists being developed and enhanced by the rigorous NCTJ training they receive from their skilled and experienced NCTJ trainers. Invariably, their careers have flourished and prospered as a result. “I can thoroughly recommend this course and hope other publishers, like us, have the sense to work with the NCTJ to adopt a similar course.”
The NCTJ has partnered with social enterprise Ability Today since 2020 to offer accessible training to people with disabilities and long-standing health conditions.
In conjunction with Ability Today’s Academy for Disabled Journalists, we deliver introductory courses for students to achieve the Level 3 Certificate in Foundation Journalism, as well as courses for students to achieve the entry-level and industry-standard Level 5 Diploma in Journalism qualification.
Grant Logan, founder of Ability Today, said: “Partnering with the NCTJ for the last three years has given us the tools to develop unique accessible courses for students with a wide range of disabilities.
“Our mission is to spotlight what people with disabilities can do, rather than what they can’t.
“We are lighting up new paths, bridging the gaps, and ensuring that the world of journalism becomes an open avenue for disabled individuals to shine.”
The NCTJ partnered with News UK to train four cohorts of young people, initially through the government’s Kickstart Scheme, with recruits studying for the Certificate in Foundation Journalism (CFJ) via a bespoke training course.
The innovative scheme sought to give the participants a head start in the industry and tackle inequality, combining an NCTJ qualification with practical, hands-on experience over a six-month, paid internship. Many of those who took part subsequently moved into apprentice roles at News UK.
The scheme was delivered in partnership with News Associates.
Mark Hudson, head of early talent at News UK, said: “News UK has worked with the NCTJ to offer the Certificate in Foundation Journalism to four cohorts of interns. This has enabled us to create a gateway for young talent to begin their journey in journalism, as it provides a great stepping stone to apprenticeships or trainee roles.
“The NCTJ are fantastic to work with. They set the standard for journalism training in the UK, they understand employer needs and their courses are backed up by meaningful qualifications. Partnering with the NCTJ creates real impact.”
The NCTJ has partnered with Sky Sports News for more than a decade, training dozens of editorial staff to achieve the Level 5 Certificate in Professional Sports Journalism.
This bespoke qualification is regulated by Ofqual and it is designed to take sports journalists to the next level by equipping them to achieve success in a complex sports media landscape.
Andy Thompson, senior news editor at Sky Sports News, said: “We’re immensely proud to have worked with the NCTJ for a number of years on the NCTJ Sky Sports Advanced Diploma.
“Their training has helped so many of our journalists – and our journalism – maintain the highest of standards.
“The NCTJ is renowned for delivering training that gives journalists the foundations upon which to build their careers, giving them the essential skills they need in their day-to-day lives.”
“The [training] experience was incredibly beneficial, and the editorial team has gained a great deal of knowledge and insight. I cannot thank you enough for making this possible.”
Benny Bonsu, director of daily content, Olympic Channel Bespoke training programme
“Choosing the NCTJ training programme for our team has been an incredibly rewarding investment for our company. The forward-thinking approach to the training equipped our team with the tools to stay ahead in an ever-changing media landscape.”
Jack Thomas, digital editor, Innovation News Network Bespoke training programme
“I found the Journalism Skills Academy’s AI e-learning course moved at my pace, using a variety of methods to keep the content engaging. Anyone who would like a solid grounding in how AI is shaping our newsrooms should definitely check it out.”
Dolly Carter, investigations researcher, BBC A journalist’s guide to artificial intelligence e-learning
“The Journalism Skills Academy delivered a brilliant leadership training programme to almost 100 of our editorial executives and we are already starting to see it pay off with what they are achieving in their newsrooms. It’s really made a difference and will benefit our business enormously.”
Toby Granville, editorial development director, Newsquest Bespoke leadership training programme
“Sports journalism is a competitive and ever-changing industry – so gaining the diploma felt vital for me. I was able to apply my learnings into real-life examples at my job, which helped build my confidence in decision-making. I highly recommend the course if you want to become a better journalist.”
Ellen McCarthy, assistant producer, Sky Sports News Bespoke training programme
“The safety and resilience course has inspired me to investigate more about the mental health of journalists – thank you to everyone involved in this course.”
Adam Barlow, student journalist Free safety and resilience e-learning
If you are looking to develop your team through professional journalism training, we would be pleased to discuss your requirements.
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