A Midlands-based news training centre has launched a course that can equip journalists for either newspaper or magazine work.

The Media Training Centre believes it is probably the only one in the country offering a course which can lead to a career in either media.

It has resisted pressure to fall into one camp or the other and continues to regard a traditional broad-based training course as one of the keys to a successful journalism career.

Course director Terry Wardle explained: "People often don't really know which way they want to go until they have had the chance to develop their journalistic skills on course but all other courses now require them to make a decision before they start training which I don't think is fair or helpful to journalism entrants."

The centre's career-entry courses are strong on the traditional news-gathering and writing skills valued by newspapers and agencies and also include skills demanded of magazine entrants such as features, subbing and on-screen publication design.

Staff at the Worcester-based Centre believe the small numbers involved - five or six people per course - make for more thorough learning.

Since it opened in 1996 the Centre has trained journalists who are now working in radio and TV and on newspapers and magazines in London and around the country.

It has qualification success rates of 100% on most courses and the stress it places on assisting students with job-seeking leads to a high level of success.

The centre is recruiting for 2002 (courses begin late June and mid-September) and can be contacted on 01905 610678.

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