TCH awards journalism diplomas to 19 students

NINETEEN students were yesterday presented with Diploma in Journalism awards by the TCH Group.

The training scheme, run by the Thomas Crosbie Holdings Editorial Centre, will, in the year ahead, be accredited by the Higher Education and Training Authority.

“We are delighted to link with the HETAC for this year’s course and look forward to a long association with them,” TCH managing director Anthony Dinan said yesterday.

More than 100 guests attended yesterday’s awards ceremony at the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork. They included Cllr Derry Canty, representing the Mayor of Cork County Council, the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Sean Martin, along with representatives of the TCH Group’s 14 newspapers, its electronic wing TCM and members of the business community in Cork.

Since its inception three years ago, 40 TCH employees have completed the course. Last year, for the first time, the diploma course was open to non-employees. Their training fees were paid for by TCH and the course involved classroom lectures, projects and two work placements of four months each in TCH papers.

The company said most of the graduates are now employed on TCH newspapers.

Ten applicants are currently engaged in this year’s training course, a Higher Diploma in Journalism Practice.

Mr Dinan said the awards presented to 19 students yesterday was the culmination of nine months’ hard work by the course participants. He congratulated the successful students and thanked the Editorial Centre and editors and mentors at each of the newspapers who worked with the students.

Thomas Crosbie Holdings Ltd comprises 14 newspapers, including the Irish Examiner, Evening Echo and The Sunday Business Post along with electronic company Thomas Crosbie Media, which operates Motornet.ie and RecruitIreland.com.