The Press Association has bought a rival journalism training provider in a deal which creates Europe’s largest provider of media short courses.

PMA Media Training, run by former national newsman Keith Elliott and his wife Riva since 1988, has been sold to PA for an undisclosed sum.

Under the deal, PMA will continue to run its range of short courses for magazines and online skills, and will be launching a 12-week multimedia course as a route into journalism for those that have chosen not to follow a university degree.

However the two companies will be sharing skills and resources and PMA will move into PA’s headquarters in Victoria.

Tony Johnston, head of training at the Press Association, said: “We are delighted to welcome PMA to the PA family.

“They bring with them vast experience in the journalism and media training industry. It means we can use PMA’s wide range of tutors and expand our business significantly in the UK and across the world.”

Keith Elliott said: “The wider reach of PA means we can achieve things that would have been difficult or impossible until now.”

Keith will work as a consultant to extend the range of courses and develop the overall business in other countries.

PMA’s nine-week postgraduate course in multimedia journalism, which has developed journalists such as Mark Kleinman, city editor of Sky News, and Nils Pratley, financial editor of The Guardian, will continue to run twice a year.

The business, which started in 1980, uses over 60 specialist tutors.