Havant MP Alan Mak has given his backing to the classroom in the newsroom following a visit to The News headquarters. The students then paid a return visit to see Mr Mak in Westminster, receiving a tour of Parliament followed by a Q&A session.
The Conservative MP spoke with the students, who are studying for journalism qualifications while at the newspaper, and praised the innovative nature of the course. While in Parliament he answered questions relating to his work as MP for Havant and in journey into politics from working class roots.
It is the fourth year the diploma has run from the 1000 Lakeside headquarters of The News in conjunction with Highbury College. It offers the opportunity for students to gain experience of working in the newsroom while also studying journalism qualifications.
Mr Mak said: “It was great to meet the students at Lakeside and in Parliament again. The News journalism course continues to be a fantastic success, giving students an excellent opportunity to learn in a workplace environment at the faction of the cost of university. It is a system that could be replicated in other industries to give our students the right skills to succeed.
“I have already enjoyed following the careers of some of the previous graduates from the course and the latest intake seem to have all the right skills to succeed in journalism.”
Highbury College in Portsmouth has more than 50 years’ experience in training journalists with a great number of success stories including ITV newsreader Mark Austin and the BBC’s Deputy Political Editor John Pienaar.
For more information, search for the Highbury College Journalism Training page on Facebook.
Picture: Alan Mak with students from Highbury College