Ten pioneering multi-media trainees from the Telegraph Media Group have completed the first stage of their training with PA.
The trainees have undertaken an intensive six weeks in Howden where their writing skills were honed and where they were taught professional skills in video, web writing, audio, a variety of software programmes and traditional page design.
The course culminated in a Press conference held by Cleveland police on a real murder. The trainees shot and edited video for a 90 second Telegraph TV slot, wrote and edited a web page and then wrote, edited and laid out a Telegraph news page.
Peter Sands, Director of PA Training, said the quality of the work they produced during the course was outstanding.
Pat Pilton, consultant editor for the Telegraph, said: “No group of trainee journalists can have been expected to acquire such a range of knowledge in such a short time. They have demonstrated it can be done. Their progress has been remarkable.”
The trainees will now spend a year working as multimedia journalists for PA, regional daily newspapers and the Telegraph as part of their training.
The course reflects the major changes at the Telegraph over the past 12 months.
As part of these changes senior managers decided to recruit ten new starters capable of working as journalists across all media and turned to Press Association Training for help.
Tony Johnston, head of PA Training, said: “This is a really exciting course, the first to provide trainee journalists vocational training across all media.
“The delegates have learned all the basics of traditional journalism, but also acquired the skills and knowledge they need to work in print, online, video and pod casting.”
Jon Swaine, one of the trainees, said: "I don't think we could have wished for a better start to the course.
“Training has been wide-ranging and intense, and the teaching has been excellent.
“The exercises and discussions have seemed very carefully thought-out and have challenged us to get rid of our blind spots and bad habits.
“I think we're all looking forward to converting what we've learned into some great journalism at regional newspapers, PA and The Telegraph."
Charlotte Bailey, another trainee, said: "There's a real buzz among the trainees, and the sessions with trainers have been really lively and stimulating.
“Training in a small community like Howden is a great way to get to grips with basic journalistic techniques in a controlled way before getting into the newsroom."

Senior executives from the Telegraph were in Howden for the start of the course and provided sessions on the programme throughout the six weeks. PA’s senior trainers in all disciplines provided the training and assessment.