Universities Minister, David Willetts, to visit Birmingham City University

University News Last updated 16 September 2010

The Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts will be seeing how the media practitioners of the future are trained during a visit to Birmingham City University.

He will be viewing facilities and meeting students and staff at Birmingham City University’s School of Media on Thursday 16 September. The University is a high-ranking Skillset Academy; Skillset Media Academies are a network of Government-accredited universities and colleges that work with industry in developing the new wave of media talent, of which Birmingham City University is a founding member. The School of Media has state-of-the-art teaching facilities and produces graduates who are ready to enter employment within the media in Birmingham, nationally and internationally. A recent league table in The Guardian ranked the University’s School of Media as the provider of the best practise-based media courses in the country.

The Minister will be meeting the Dean of Birmingham City University’s School of Media, Dan Howard, Chief Executive of Skillset, Dinah Caine and the Director of the BBC Training Academy, Anne Morrison. Later he will be interviewed for the University’s radio station by one of the University’s postgraduate broadcast journalism students. Universities and Science Minister David Willetts said: “The Skillset Media Academies are a good example of universities and industry working together for the benefit of both graduates and the economy. Students know they are getting a head start in today’s tough job market developing the range of skills employers need, and the media industry can have greater confidence that a graduate from one of the Academies will be a good choice."

Birmingham City University’s Dan Howard said: “The School of Media is delighted to have Skillset Academy status. We are proud of our extensive links with industry and emphasise the importance of work experience as vital to creating employable graduates.”