Forth Valley College media students will be taking to the airwaves during the Royal National Mod 2008, an annual event celebrating traditional Scottish culture.
This year the showcase will take place from the 13th – 17th of October in Falkirk, the home of Forth Valley College’s largest campus.
Four students from the college’s BA Media and Communication degree programme will join the team at the popular Radio Mod as part of a unique work experience placement.
This exciting opportunity will allow Danielle Gibson, Gill Gaffney, Alex Fleming and Peter Barclay to add a practical dimension to their studies by working in a real live radio environment. The students will work with Radio Mod for the full week where they will be involved in press conferences, briefings, preparing bulletins and live broadcasting.
Cathy Snedden, Head of Department of Creative Industries said: “The Mod is a wonderful cultural event and we are thrilled that our learners have been invited to become involved. We always encourage students to seek out opportunities for industrial experience as it helps to build employability skills and stands them in good stead for success in industry. Qualifications can help you to secure an interview but it’s this kind of experience which makes all the difference in securing a job.”
The College was first approached to become involved in Radio Mod by Falkirk Council’s Music Development Officer, Elaine Craig. This follows a number of successful creative partnerships which have seen Forth Valley College students support the Big in Falkirk Event and the Stenhousemuir Town Centre Regeneration Project, through the One Day Wonder public art initiative, amongst others.
Cllr Angus MacDonald, Convener of the Falkirk Mod Organising Committee said: ‘The four students involved will have a fantastic opportunity to get involved with the practical side of media and communication work as part of a major world class event that attracts competitors and supporters from around the world.’
‘As yet another large organisation who are actively wanting to get involved with this year's Mod, I congratulate Forth Valley College for giving four of their students the break and supporting us in helping to deliver the most successful Mod to date.’
The College will be involved in the Mod in various ways throughout the week and will be a venue for a number of events and workshops. College Lecturer and former student Sue Myles is showcasing a range of illustrations reflecting traditional songs at an exhibition to be held in Falkirk Town Hall. Furthermore the Dalriade Dance School, run by another Creative Industries Lecturer Avril Smillie, will be performing a number of Scottish Country Dance demonstrations.
But for now, the College’s BA Media and Communications students can’t wait to get started and are counting down the days till the Mod begins.
Danielle Gibson (19) from Redding who is in her 1st year of the BA Media and Communication said:
“I’m really looking forward to taking part in Radio Mod, although I’m a little bit nervous! This will be my first experience working on a live project and I’m so excited. Up until I studied the NQ Communication with Media last year, I had never thought of radio as a career option, but now I’m hoping to go into radio broadcasting or journalism once I have completed my degree. So this is a really good opportunity for me and it will look great on my CV.”
Forth Valley College is Scotland’s 5th largest College with campuses in Falkirk, Alloa and Stirling. The College offers a wide range of courses from access to degree level, including the Open University validated BA Media and Communication and BA in Art and Design.
For more information on opportunities available, please call 0845 634 4444 or email info@forthvalley.ac.uk.
