By Nick Sheridan

As school leavers make their final decisions about where to study next year, these Foundation Degree Internships (FDIs) present the perfect opportunity for aspiring media professionals to get a head-start on their chosen career paths.

The two-year courses have been designed with strong, ongoing links to their respective industries at their core. Students will spend 50 per cent of their course time as an intern with some of the leading companies in their chosen industry. They can then choose to add a third year to earn a full honours degree.

The four FDIs cover radio production, multimedia production, and editing and post production. They are all taught at accredited Skillset Media Academies, which are centres of excellence in media training.

Students will be able to do their internships with a wide range of industry leaders, including Global Radio, the BBC, Crabtree Films and Cartwright Communications, and many more, developing professional skills and a wide range of industry contacts.

The courses available are:

• Radio Production, delivered at Birmingham City University and Cornwall Skillset Media Academies,

• Media Creatives, delivered at Nottingham Skillset Media Academy, and

• Editing & Post Production, delivered at Ravensbourne Skillset Media Academy

Skillset’s chief executive, Dinah Caine, said: “Foundation Degree Internships will combine the best of a university education with practical, on the ground experience in the workplace. These are a real foot in the door for students looking for a career in the media.”

Stuart Thomas, Head of Regional and Local Programming, BBC East Midlands, said: "I'm delighted that BBC East Midlands is involved in something that will increase the development of the region as a creative centre and that covers an impressive range of subject areas from traditional media to many exciting new areas."

For more information, please visit www.skillset.org/foundationdegrees.

About the author

Nick Sheridan is PR for Skillset. Skillset is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for the Creative Industries. SSCs are licensed by the UK Government and by Ministers in the devolved administrations to tackle the skills and productivity challenges by sector. They are independent, UK-wide organisations, are employer-led, and actively involve trade unions, professional bodies and other stakeholders in their industries.