Paid placements are to be offered to journalism students by The Herald group of newspapers to create a ‘gold standard’ of journalism training.

The group - comprising The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times - is launching the training in collaboration with Glasgow Caledonian University and Cardonald College in Glasgow.

Says group editor-in-chief, Donald Martin: “This innovative programme will be the gold-standard of journalism training. We are encouraging journalism students who are on [National Council for the Training of Journalists] NCTJ-accredited courses to develop their skills in the workplace they want to be part of.

“We are offering paid shifts designed to help them learn how to write and report better. They will have the opportunity to work across our titles in print and online as we extend our multimedia output.”

Martin is on the board of directors of the NCTJ and chair of the NCTJ Qualifications Board, and is also vice-president of the Society of Editors.

He added: “This is a long-term commitment to the industry and a major investment in making journalism better.”

As well as paid shifts at the group’s newspapers, students will also benefit from senior editorial staff delivering a range of media workshops on-site at GCU and Cardonald College.

Continues Joanne Butcher, chief executive of the NCTJ: “Work experience is a crucial part of a student’s preparation for a career in journalism. The Herald and Times Editorial Training Scheme is to be applauded because it goes much further not only by providing well-organised and structured on-the-job training but by paying students for their work to help them meet the costs of their courses and examinations.”

Both of the BA Journalism and MA Multimedia Journalism at Glasgow Caledonian University are accredited by the NCTJ and also the Broadcast Journalism Training Council; the BA is the only under-graduate programme in Scotland with NCTJ accreditation.

Cardonald is the only further education college in Scotland to have NCTJ accreditation.