ACADEMY FOR DISABLED JOURNALISTS

Ability Today is very proud to be launching the second year of our Academy for Disabled Journalists (ADJ) in partnership with the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ), all delivered in a fully inclusive and accessible environment.

This is an innovative partnership with the NCTJ to provide tailored access to their Certificate in Foundation Journalism (CFJ).

Most people eligible for this course will be in receipt of either DLA or PIP (if you are not please still apply to be considered).

Any questions please contact us at info@abilitytoday.com

This course is an A-level equivalent qualification providing an introduction to journalism. It may be used as a first step for candidates considering a career in journalism or by those wishing to develop their journalistic skills for a specific purpose.  

The course will be delivered by NCTJ-accredited teaching staff and will be a mix of webinar-based tutorials and coursework.

The current course will run over a 6-12 month period starting 5th May 2021. However, we will be able to extend the course if required up to 2 years to accommodate individual requirements.  We have worked closely with the NCTJ to devise a course which will enable students with a wide range of abilities to participate and gain a valuable qualification.

(Applications for the current course are now closed.  More training opportunities will be announced soon.  If you are interested please fill out the form below)

The structure of the online and webinar-based course includes 150 guided learning hours (which includes 40 hours of weekly webinars) and 100 hours of self-study (includes revision/assessments). You will be required to complete assignments throughout the course, that will be externally assessed at a pace dictated by each individual.  In addition to the weekly lessons and webinars there will be one-to-one tutorials at the end of each module.  All webinars will be filmed and made available online for anyone that misses a session. Access will be available for the period of the course.  

The first National Lottery funded Academy class of 2020 was a great success and we are now looking for our next cohort of  students for the 2021 course.

Partnering with the NCTJ has given the Academy the ability to provide direct mentoring and teaching support and to tailor the course for the needs of learners with a range of disabilities. These additional resources are not normally available through the NCTJ’s distance learning courses.  

Ability Today’s Online News Platform is the perfect place for our student’s brand new content to be created and published.  Our Academy will provide students with the unique ability to develop and hone their journalistic skills and deliver their content directly to our targeted audience.  

This is a great time to be preparing for a life after isolation, and we will be providing our  students with the qualification and tools to report on the world after Lockdown.

Membership to our Academy will include the following benefits:

• Unique Access to The NCTJ Level 3 Certificate in Foundation Journalism
• Exclusive Webinar based tutorial content (40 + hours)
• Masterclasses delivered by prominent industry leaders 
• Access to NCTJ’s CFJ Resource Portal 
• End of Module 30 minute 1 to 1 Tutorial
• Academy Membership Card
• Ability Today Press Pass
• Some financial support will be available to cover attending events.

Course requirements:

• Laptop / Computer
• Internet connection
• Smartphone for audio recording and filming
• Zoom application for tutorials
• Word Processing software (MS Word / Google Docs)
• The NCTJ Level 3 Certificate in Foundation Journalism is suitable for those aged 16+ and educated to GCSE level 

To sign up to become a member of the Academy (ADJ) and enrol in the CFJ course please email info@abilitytoday.com with your details of fill out the form at the bottom of the page.

For further information on the Certificate in Foundation Journalism:

https://www.nctj.com/journalism-qualifications/Certificate-in-Foundation-Journalism

The qualification is designed to give a wide variety of uses within the community; whether as a community reporter or contributor, blogger or those wishing to use journalism as a way to draw attention to specific community issues.

It can be offered through a range of providers: schools and colleges; evening classes and short courses. Achievement of the qualification attracts a UCAS tariff of 16 points which may be used towards accessing higher education degree courses.

To gain the Level 3 Certificate in Foundation Journalism, students must complete five mandatory units and 6 additional units. The following options have been chosen by Ability Today in conjunction with the NCTJ as being the most appropriate for this unique course:

Mandatory units:

• Gathering information
• How to tell a news story
• Recording information
• Legal and ethical considerations for journalists
• Writing for digital media

Additional units:

• Using Video to tell a Story
• Using Audio to tell a Story 
• Taking Photographs Suitable for Publication
• Feature Writing 
• Writing for a specific purpose 
• Community Radio News gathering 
• How Society Works
• Finding & Using Data
• History of News
• Writing review & comment articles

Successful study at foundation level is likely to give candidates a “head start” when it comes to studying for an apprenticeship and/or the Diploma in Journalism.

The true cost of this exclusive course is over £2000 per student, with the support of the National Lottery we are able to reduce this cost to £199 inc VAT per student. 

For more information on NCTJ Certificate in Foundation Journalism Qualification:

https://abilitytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Certificate-in-Foundation-Journalism-qualification-specification.pdf

For more information about the Academy for Disabled Journalists or Ability Today  please email info@abilitytoday.com with your details.