• Charles Sturt University in Bathurst will host a free workshop for Year 11 and Year 12 students considering a career in the communications industry
• The interactive workshop will cover the new, improved Bachelor of Communication course and will take place on Friday 22 September from 10.30am until 2.30pm
• A special address will be delivered by media celebrity and Sunrise news presenter Ms Edwina Bartholomew

On Friday 22 September, Charles Sturt University in Bathurst will host an interactive workshop for Year 11 and Year 12 students interested in studying communication and keen to find out more about the unique course that was recently redesigned.

The workshop will be hosted by communication lecturers within the Charles Sturt School of Information and Communication Studies offering insights into the three strands of the new Charles Sturt Bachelor of Communication and is also open to the families of the Year 11 and 12 students, their career advisors and teachers.

The highlight will be a special welcome address by media celebrity and Charles Sturt alumna - news presenter on the Seven Network's breakfast television program Sunrise, Ms Edwina Bartholomew, who graduated with a Charles Sturt Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies.

Acting Course Director and Lecturer in Communication Dr Roslyn Cox said Charles Sturt had a long-standing history of being a leader in the communications industry.

“Charles Sturt has long been recognised by industry for its winning combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills - and the current degree program has been developed in conjunction with alumni and industry,” Dr Cox said.

“Our philosophy is that you learn by doing, through opportunities to hear from people who work in the industry, through the analysis and interrogation of real-world case studies, and through working for real-world clients. And all of this happens within the important backdrop of key communication theory, so our students understand the ‘why’ of communication and how to identify and serve audiences.”

Students attending the workshop will work in small teams to understand the three different strands of the new degree below:

• News and Media (journalism, recognising a story, interviewing and production skills)
• Design and Content Creation (design and production of content for a range of media channels)
• Strategic Communication (strategy, achieving outcomes, advertising, public relations, event management, promotion)

Dr Cox said she realised it takes a bit of ‘inside knowledge’ to understand what the study of communication involves, the exciting career paths it offers for graduates, and how to work out which aspect of communication someone may wish to pursue.

“We also realise that the best way to showcase the unique approach of Charles Sturt communication is by bringing young people into our television studio and classroom spaces for the day, allowing them to meet their future lecturers, and work on a real-world project - with the help and support of some of our own second-year Comms students,” she said.

Dr Cox said the Charles Sturt communication team has developed an engaging and interesting scenario where students will gain insights into the work of journalists, what happens at media conferences, how to develop a communication strategy to achieve outcomes, and the wonderful creative aspects that produce effective communication.

“We are keeping the details of the scenario a secret for the moment so that we can show students on the day how a real media brief comes together and what can be produced through energy, enthusiasm, and creative flair,” Dr Cox said.

The workshop and the event itself will be filmed and a showreel will be screened as a finale and it will also be made available to students and those unable to attend.

“We are also hosting a lunch and inviting our current communication students so prospective students, their parents, and teachers, can mingle and find out first-hand what it is like to study Communication at Charles Sturt.”

If you are interested in attending the Making it in Media, Charles Sturt University Communication workshop, please RSVP by registering here.

ENDS