If you’re looking at pursuing a career in journalism you have most likely heard of NCTJ. National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) is an organisation that oversees the training of the journalists in the UK. They offer apprenticeships, training courses and qualifications to aspiring journalists.
What Qualifications are Available?
NCTJ offers a whole range of qualifications and courses, starting from foundation courses for trainee journalists to extra skills courses for qualified journalists. The most common is the Level 5 diploma. The diploma is made up of 82 credits from mandatory and optional modules. Mandatory modules include content such as essential journalism, media law and an e-portfolio. There are a whole range of optional modules, from broadcast journalism to PR to shorthand.
How to Study an NCTJ Qualification
There are a whole range of ways to apply for a NCTJ qualification. Some journalism university courses are NCTJ accredited, meaning that you can study for the diploma alongside your university studies. This often means that the cost of your diploma is included in your course fees. Some journalism apprenticeships, for example the BBC Digital Journalism apprenticeship, also offer the diploma.
Alternatively, you can study for any NCTJ qualification as an individual candidate. This does mean that you will have to pay fees to complete each module and your examinations. This can become quite expensive as most modules are around £150 each.
Is a NCTJ Qualification Necessary?
Many people have questioned whether the NCTJ qualification is still necessary to be successful within journalism. In the past it was favoured, as learning shorthand (a key part of the qualification) was essential. However, today shorthand is very rarely needed as interviews can be recorded.
NCTJ qualifications appear to be more favourable within written journalism than broadcast. So, if you are aiming to go into TV or radio, you will most likely not need the NCTJ. When it comes to written journalism, whether or not it is needed varies heavily. For some companies it is a requirement for employment and, for others, it is not wanted. In addition, some companies offer different rates of pay to employees with and without the qualification.
If you are offered the chance to complete the NCTJ as a part of a university course of apprenticeship, definitely take the opportunity. It is an industry recognised qualification and, whether necessary or not, will always look great on your CV. If not, think about the type of journalism you want to go into and whether it is necessary. For news journalism at tabloids, you will most likely need the qualifications. But for magazine, TV or radio, it may not be a requirement.
If you have a particular company in mind, get in contact with them to find out if the NCTJ is a requirement for them.