Carole Fleming – Course leader at the Centre for Broadcast Journalism at Nottingham Trent University.

How many people a year are taught at the CBJ?

We take around 60 undergraduate students every year, and between 10 and 15 postgraduates.

What links do you have with the radio industry?

CBJ has strong links with the industry through our Consortium which meets with staff a couple of times a year to keep us up to date with changes within the industry. As well as coming to talk to students throughout the year about issues concerning radio, the members of the Consortium also provide placements for our students. The Consortium was originally formed to help design the BA in Broadcast Journalism back in 1992 and since then they’ve stayed very involved in our courses, providing help and advice and offering prizes for the best student work.

What would your top tips be for somebody who has just decided that they wish to work in radio, either as a journalist or something else?

The first thing you need to do is get training from a BJTC accredited course. The BJTC is the industry watchdog and they monitor the training of radio and television students to make sure it’s of a good enough standard. Having BJTC accredited training will open doors and from then on it’s just a matter of being persistent and taking every opportunity you can to show what you can do.

People may think that after graduation from a University with a qualification that the next step into radio is easy, is that the case?

Increasingly staff jobs in radio are hard to find, but there still seems to be a fair amount of freelance work around. Having the qualification is important, but you also need to have some determination to get that first job and sometimes a few months of freelance work will just get you in the door and put you in the running for more permanent positions.

Can you give a couple of examples of success stories that you have had?

Our first lot of undergraduates graduated in 1995 so we’ve now got a network of graduates working across the country including the sports editor for Global Radio based in London, people who are now editors at BBC local stations, presenters working for Key 106 in Manchester, and a presenter on Absolute Radio. That first job in radio can be quite difficult to get, but if you’re willing to work anywhere in the country and show determination and flair you’ll eventually get where you want to be. 

You can visit the CBJ’s website by clicking here.                                              

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