Young people are our future
At Wyvex Media we are proud to have given many young people their first big breaks in the media industry
SCOTLAND’S determination to invest in its young people is the key to success both now and in the future and that is something we feel very strongly about here at Wyvex Media. Life does not standstill – each generation goes on to have careers, start families and raise children of their own and be part of society. Since 1861 The Oban Times has been reporting about life here in the West Highlands and Islands and also giving many young people their first taste of work in journalism, sales, production, administration and finance.
David McPhee at The Oban Times has gained the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) gold diploma: ‘My entry into journalism was a very fortunate one. I was offered a job at The Oban Times in August 2015 - a week before I was scheduled to start college, and eight weeks after I first entered the office on work experience.
‘Being able to learn on the job was invaluable. It gave me a head start in many aspects of academia and forced me to use the skills I had learned immediately.
‘Being paid to work while I was still in training was also a massive stress reliever, as was being able to stay in my hometown, especially when many of my peers were carrying out unpaid work to gain the same experience.’ Young journalist
Hannah O’Hanlon at The Campbeltown Courier sat her final exam last week: ‘I was born and brought up in Kintyre and I always knew that I wanted to live and work in the area.
‘When a trainee reporter position came up at the Campbeltown Courier, it seemed like the perfect position for someone who was keen on English and photography and eager to learn. With training on the job, it was ideal - no having to move to a big city for years to get to where I wanted to be.
‘I have spent the last year getting real-life experience on the job in Campbeltown, while also completing a journalism course at college in Glasgow, and while it was challenging travelling and finding time for everything, it has also been extremely rewarding.
‘My local knowledge has proven invaluable and one of the aspects of my job that I love most is being involved in some of the biggest moments in people’s lives, and getting behind-the-scenes access to projects I wouldn’t previously have had.’
Euan Paterson was one of the most recognised and respected faces of The Oban Times and had an award-winning career with us: ‘I joined The Oban Times in 2002, straight from Oban High School. I had been helping in the newsroom in my spare time and was thrilled to be offered a full-time job with training. It allowed me to stay in the area – and get paid – whilst pursuing my career of choice.
‘The myriad of skills I picked up during my 13 years at the newspaper have easily transferred to my new role as communications and media officer at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), where my job is to communicate research findings and environmental issues to a general audience. Ranald Watson, now director of sales and marketing at Springbank Distillers & Mitchell’s Glengyle Ltd:
‘I began my training with The Oban Times Group when I left school in 1998. My first position was Trainee Reporter, based at The Campbeltown Courier. Together with in-house training from senior colleagues, I took part in a distance learning course with the NCTJ. The course was great as an introduction to journalism and some of the skills which would be required in my career; those skills were tested and put to use on a daily basis working in a busy office producing a widely-read weekly paper. The highlights of my training were being flown in an RAF Chinook helicopter as part of a large military exercise, being burled around Knockhill Racing Circuit in a Ferrari and being invited to meet the Queen and Prince Phillip at a reception for young Scottish achievers. I’m probably most proud of gaining my 100 words per minute shorthand certificate mind you! It might sound obvious but the development of my communication skills was certainly the most important factor in completing my training, gaining my industry qualifications and carrying out my job effectively. Those skills have stayed with me, even though I moved on from journalism after eight years to start working in the whisky industry. The ability to communicate properly, be that by talking, writing and, perhaps most importantly, listening to what people are saying has been invaluable to me in working and building relationships with enthusiastic customers and whisky drinkers from around the world. I’m also still using that shorthand, much to the amazement (and amusement) of my distillery colleagues.’ At 20-years-old Amy
Boyce is the latest recruit to The Oban Times, working in our advertising department and her training is in-house. Many folk will know Amy because of her singing; she has a degree from UHI in applied music.
‘Apart from working while a student this is my first job. I am enjoying meeting and talking to so many people and being able to start building a career without having to leave the area.’