SoE08: Employers report multimedia 'skills gap' in new recruits, says NCTJ study

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Journalism employers are reporting a gap between their multimedia expectations and the skills of new journalists, according to a survey by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) .

The study, which focused on the growing demand for journalists to work and be trained across multiple platforms, found that 71 per cent of employers felt there was a skills gap in this area.

Of the 217 employers surveyed, 59 per cent said new entrant journalists lack sufficient video recording and editing skills, while 57 per cent found a skills gap amongst trainees in writing for search engine optimisation (SEO).

Training in writing for multiple platforms and using the Freedom of Information Act was also found wanting by participants, the council announced to delegates at the Society of Editors (SoE) conference.

Traditional skills were also considered by the study, which suggested that 64 per cent of employers were dissatisfied with recruits' ability to find their own stories.

According to the figures, employers maintained the importance of core skills and said that traditional skills such as media law and shorthand are more important than new skills.

"Our mission is quality training and to have high relevant standards, but we must be realistic and prioritise what can be achieved and get the right balance of both traditional and new skills," said Donald Martin, editor of the Glasgow Evening Times and chairman of the NCTJ’s Journalism Qualifications Board.

The online survey also questioned 50 NCTJ-accredited training institutions as part of the research, which was carried out in September and October of this year.

"In an industry of blurring lines it's very important that we [employers and trainers] work together and not independently," said Martin.

Certain non-core skills, such as specific software knowledge and graphic design, were identified as areas of compromise for training by both employers and institutions, he added.

"In an environment where we’re going to have to introduce new skills and plug gaps, there are going to have to be areas where we cut back [on non-core skills training]," Martin told delegates.