News Guild, CWA/NETT Develop Digital Skills Courses

It's nearing deadline, TNG-CWA members: There's just one week before the first round of digital media classes being offered by The Newspaper Guild and the CWA/NETT Academy begins.

The online classes include digital photography, videography, web design, Photoshop and copy editing. The first round of classes begins June 1, with a second round starting June 11.

Recognizing that technology is putting more demands on journalists and that many employers aren't providing adequate – or any – training, the Guild and the academy are working together to prepare members for new and changing jobs. CWA members in other sectors are also invited to sign up for the courses.

Guild members at MediaNews Group-owned papers are eligible for scholarships for the classes on a first-come basis. A total of 300 scholarships will be awarded as part of TNG-CWA's Strategic Industry Fund (SIF) project at MediaNews, which employs Guild members at the Denver Post, St. Paul Pioneer Press, San Jose Mercury News, Long Beach Press Telegram, Los Angeles Daily News, Monterey Herald, the York Daily Record and York Dispatch and Alameda Newspaper Group.

"We're building a union work force that can meet the demands of today's high-tech media market," TNG-CWA President Linda Foley said. "We know there are enormous pressures on the industry to cut payrolls and outsource work, but the more valuable our members are in terms of skills and training, the harder it's going to be for employers to make an economic argument to cut their jobs."

Most of the courses cost $300 to $450 and will run six to eight weeks. Students with scholarships must be members in good standing with the Guild and make a commitment to participate in five union mobilization activities in support of other Guild members.

Full details about the classes and scholarships are available online at www.medianewsmonitor.org. More information about CWA/NETT is on the academy's website at www.cwanett.org.