Poole-based journalism trainer Up To Speed has had its newspaper journalism course accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

The company was launched by Tom Hill in October.

He has worked for ITN, Sky News, the BBC and GMTV, beginning his career as a trainee reporter with the North Wales Weekly News and subsequently working as a senior reporter for the Nottingham Evening Post.

He was programme leader of the NCTJ-accredited BA(Hons) in Multi-Media Journalism at Bournemouth University for three years before embarking on his latest venture.

Now he has added to his course offering, with four weeks being added to the 18-week course, giving students the chance to take Britain’s first Multi-Media Journalism Fast-Track at no extra cost. The final four weeks of each course will be dedicated to the NCTJ’s new qualifications in online writing, editing and video journalism. Online Journalism will be taught by former deputy editor of ft.com, Liisa Rohumaa.

Tom said: “It has been an amazing week for us. I am incredibly proud of our staff and students, who have enabled us to win recognition from the National Council for the Training of Journalists just five months after our first course started.

“I am delighted that Liisa has agreed to join us as we seize the chance to produce a new generation of multi-talented, multi-media journalists.”