13th December 2007

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Basil Dalton, Joe McKinney, George Kingsnorth, and Ulster's Dr Sarah Edge, with the Rt. Hon. James Purnell MP, and Greg Dyke at the awards ceremony

The University of Ulster is leading an educational consortium which will train Northern Ireland's next generation of media professionals to international standards.

The consortium, led by the University and including the Belfast Metropolitan College, North West Regional College and Southern Regional College, has won a highly competitive bid for a Skillset Media Academy licence.

Their academy, to be known as the Northern Ireland Skillset Media Academy, will join a network of 16 academies across the UK. The award was announced this afternoon in London by Skillset, the industry body that supports training for people and businesses to ensure the UK's audio-visual industries maintain their world-class position.

The licence was presented by Greg Dyke, the former BBC director general who is a patron of Skillset, to Dr Sarah Edge, Head of School of Media, Film and Journalism at University of Ulster and chair of the successful Northern Ireland consortium.

Participants in the Skillset Media Academy Network have been identified by Skillset as centres of excellence in media education and training.

The academies are aimed at ensuring that the UK media has the most talented, skilled and diverse workforce in the world for years to come.

Northern Ireland’s success followed a one-year application and industry inspection process. Over 60 consortia bid for the academy status.

The academy will help indigenous media companies become more internationally competitive by bringing skills to an international standard. It will also act as an incentive for international media companies, particularly in interactive digital media, to locate in Northern Ireland.

Richard Williams, chief executive of Northern Ireland Screen, said: “The Northern Ireland Skillset Media Academy will for the first time create a proper and coherent link between the television, film and digital media industry in Northern Ireland and the education and training providers.

“This provides a once in a generation opportunity to ensure that in the future graduates of courses are better equipped for the industry they wish to join and are provided with a clearer path to that industry albeit still a challenging one.”

Dr Edge said: “With defined progression routes, students will be supported by a number of innovative schemes and have increased mobility into the industry. The direct contact with industry strengthens and enables students to achieve their aims and progress into their desired careers.”

The academy will be advised by a board of leading industry practitioners to ensure its training, research and skills are industry-led.

Kevin Jackson, the assistant head of drama at BBC Northern Ireland, will chair this board. He said: "The media industry here will benefit enormously from the focussed and integrated education policy the Media Academy will supply, working with industry to deliver graduates with the appropriate skills for the business.”

The academy will have a presence across Northern Ireland and provide a pathway of qualifications for talented individuals entering the media and those within the industry wanting to enhance their skills.

For example, its ladder of qualifications will allow a school leaver to enter a higher national diploma (HND) qualification in a further education college in the academy. They will then, if they meet the requirements, be able to progress to a PhD. They will be supported by industry placements, research, industry talks, workshops and other joint projects across the partnership during their careers.

Already the partners have hosted some joint events, including a talk by Al Gore’s Current TV. It was broadcast last month across the different campuses using new interactive conferencing technology.

Dr Joe Boyle of Belfast Metropolitan College said: "This is a huge national accolade and endorsement of the media provision at the Belfast Metropolitan College. Our students benefit from cutting edge technology, expert tuition from industry professionals and an excellent learning environment in which to grow their skills.”

Basil Dalton, principal lecturer in Creative Studies, North West Regional College, said:

“For the first time in Northern Ireland higher level media education is being delivered in a joined-up fashion. It will benefit North West Regional College’s HND Media and Multimedia students and the audiovisual industries into which they will be placed.”

Stephen Rogan, course director of the Foundation Degree in Interactive Media, Southern Regional College, Newry, said: "Being involved with the Skillset Media Academy partners will enhance the Foundation Degree in Interactive Multimedia course and its delivery to our students at the Southern Regional College in Newry".

Notes for editors:

Further information at http://www.arts.ulster.ac.uk/schools/media_film/nisma.html

The Northern Ireland Skillset Media Academy is made up of four partners:

University of Ulster, Coleraine (lead partner)

Belfast Metropolitan College

North West Regional College, (Londonderry campus)

Southern Regional College (Newry campus)

 

The following courses delivered by these partners make up the Academy:

MA Journalism (University of Ulster, Coleraine)

MA Film and TV Management and Policy (University of Ulster, Coleraine)

MA Documentary Practice (University of Ulster, Coleraine)

BA Media Studies and Production (University of Ulster, Coleraine)

BA Interactive Media Arts (University of Ulster, Coleraine)

HND Moving Image (Belfast Metropolitan College)

HND Moving Image (North West Regional College, Londonderry campus)

HND Interactive Media (North West Regional College, Derry city campus)

Foundation Degree in Interactive MultiMedia Southern Regional College (Newry campus)

 

For further information contact:

 

David Young, Senior Press Officer, University of Ulster

07808 911 343, or

 

Colm Murphy, University of Ulster, Coleraine, course director

Telephone: 028 703 23130 (work)

Mobile: 00353 86 811 6095

c.murphy@ulster.ac.uk

 

Skillset Northern Ireland Manager

Cecilia McAlister

Telephone: 02890 434075 (work)

Mobile: 07825 188 625

ceciliam@skillset.org

 

Belfast Metropolitan College

Contact: Carol Richmond on

Telephone: 02890265316/5347 (work)

CRichmond@belfastmet.ac.uk

 

North West Regional College

Contact: Basil Dalton, principal lecturer in Creative Studies,

Telephone: 028 7127 6563 (work)

Mobile: 07794215201(mobile)

Basil.Dalton@nwrc.ac.uk

Southern Regional College

George Kingsnorth, media lecturer

Telephone: 028 3026 1071

kingsnorthg@src.ac.uk

For further information, please contact:

David Young
Telephone: 028 90366074
Email: David Young