NCTJ launches new training for tutors on AI and resilience following accreditation seminar

The NCTJ has announced new training sessions for journalism course leaders and tutors via the Journalism Skills Academy following its recent accreditation seminar.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and resilience and confidence building were key points of discussion at last month's event, which preceded the NCTJ's Awards for Excellence at the Royal College of Physicians in London.

Educators and industry stakeholders had the chance to come together, exchange ideas and give feedback to the NCTJ.

Attendees raised the need for more training on AI and resilience to support their teaching to students.

Both AI and safety and resilience are included in the NCTJ's accreditation performance standards, with evidence of the teaching of these subjects required as part of the annual self-assessment reviews of NCTJ-accredited courses.

The AI 'train the trainer' masterclass will be held in June, offering practical training on how generative AI tools and technology are being used to support content creation.

It will also provide the latest information on verification and copyright with regard to AI tools.

The resilience masterclass will be held in July, responding to concerns that students and early-career journalists are lacking confidence in key skills such as phone and in-person interviews and asking difficult or probing questions.

This was also an issue that was highlighted during the NCTJ's employer-led safety and resilience advisory panel, which met in February.

The group discussed the increasing prevalence of "non-verbal" communication methods to source stories and a reluctance to pick up the phone.

Laura Adams, head of the NCTJ's Journalism Skills Academy, said: "AI and resilience were hot topics at the seminar - and rightly so, as they both remain important issues across the industry.

"We have listened to feedback and we are pleased to be able to offer this support to trainers so they are equipped with the knowledge to be able to incorporate these complex topics into their teaching."

The two courses are open to both accredited and non-accredited NCTJ courses.

Michelle Johnson, editorial director at Vantage Media and newly-appointed chair of the NCTJ's accreditation board, gave an introductory address at the accreditation seminar in March.

She said: "It was great to meet all the passionate NCTJ course leaders who joined the accreditation seminar, and it was a productive session discussing their ideas and hearing their feedback.

"It is incredibly important we continue to give NCTJ trainers all the tools they need to support their teaching, so I am pleased the NCTJ is able to offer these 'train the trainer' sessions around these two important topics."

Book your place on the AI training session here and the resilience training session here.

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