by Fiona Stack, Radio Kerry General Manager
Are you interested in journalism, podcasting, sports broadcasting or radio?
Radio Kerry and The Digital Skills Centre at Kerry College are currently recruiting for an eight-week Introduction to Journalism, Podcasting and Radio course which commences in Tralee in September.
Get hands-on training in Radio Kerry and learn from award-winning news, sport and music producers and presenters. No fees apply and progression to an advanced year-long course, which includes a three-month work placement, is possible.
This course was developed to give hands-on experience to anyone interested in a career in the media. Former participants include media graduates who want practical experience, those considering a career in the media, or just those with a story to tell. We are looking for people who love creating content as much as we do!
Running for over 20 years, this course has always welcomed participants from minority groups and diverse backgrounds. Students from previous years have been shortlisted for and won IMRO Radio Awards on several occasions.
Yuliia Riabova, from the Ukraine, is a student from last year’s class:
It’s hard to overestimate how important this course was for me, a newcomer to Ireland. It opened so many doors and connected me with incredible people. Our mentors, Connie Broderick and Joe McGill, were so supportive throughout the course and taught us the full spectrum of radio – from how to write and read a news copy or an ad, to how to produce your own podcast or documentary. We were in the studio from day one, using real-life equipment and software. Overall, it was a beautiful journey that gave me not only new skills and knowledge, but also plenty of opportunities for future development. I’m most grateful!
Another former student, Siobhan Brosnan, is now a news journalist and documentary maker:
I’ve always loved radio – since I was a small child I would play for hours with a tape recorder and a microphone producing my own shows. After teaching for years, I was on a career break and the Journalism, Podcasting and Radio Course from Kerry College and Radio Kerry jumped out at me. I thought it was now or never to make that jump into radio and I haven’t looked back.
The course gives real-world experience in a real radio station environment being mentored by radio professionals that I’m now lucky enough to call my colleagues! From journalism to presenting and editing to voiceovers, the course covers all bases, and you really do get all the hands-on experience to thrive in the world of radio and podcasting.
I was lucky enough to go on to complete the Learning Waves graduate programme after the course and worked for five months in the newsroom in Radio Kerry, learning from journalists at the top of their careers with such a huge variety of expertise.
Today I am working as a weekend news journalist with Radio Kerry, as well as producing two series for the station, and make documentaries with funding from the Coimisiún na Meán Sound and Vision scheme. I have to pinch myself most mornings because I really am living my dream, and it’s all down to the incredible experience I had doing the Journalism, Podcasting and Radio course from Kerry College run with Radio Kerry.
Course details and information on how to apply for both the eight-week introduction, and the year-long course are available at kerrycollege.ie under the full-time courses section. For further information contact jmcgill@radiokerry.ie.