A regional weekly is teaming up with a local college in a ground-breaking swap-shop of talent to develop the “future of the industry.”

The Bath Chronicle is partnering the City of Bath College in a unique project to help prepare media students for the world of work.

Both parties will benefit from the interchange with Chronicle staff helping develop the professional and employability skills of students through weekly work placements to enhance their technical education.

And students will undertake a range of professional assignments for the Chronicle including the production of digital content, assisting journalists and other Bath News and Media staff as well as creating music and film content for a new Bath College section of the paper’s website.

Chronicle editor Lynne Fernquest, pictured, said: “Bath News and Media is committed to developing future talent for the news industry and is delighted to be making such an important contribution to the development of employability skills in young people.

“This exciting venture also provides us with an opportunity to engage with local young people through our website and to have access to the digital skills of the college’s students.”

Each week college students will join the editor and her team in an advance planning meeting at the Chronicle’s offices before embarking on an intensive week of training as media industry juniors.

City of Bath College principal Matt Atkinson added: “This project is a first; there is no other college in the country that has managed to secure such an exciting and powerful project with a media and news group.

“We are deeply grateful to the Bath Chronicle for agreeing to work with us in this way and we have no doubt that this project will significantly enhance the skills of our media students

This formalises the strong working relationship the college has built up with the paper over the last year.

Students have regularly been asked to find content for the website and newspaper, including words, pictures, video and audio relating to the latest news stories.