Prolific North and Manchester Metropolitan University have just launched the 2015 Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Communications Management, a six-month course which combines detailed insight into digital communications practice alongside pragmatic leadership training.
Prolific North caught up with two of the 2014 cohort to get their thoughts on how the course has improved their knowledge and understanding of working in digital comms.
“The teaching has been really great,” said Pamela Holstein, Communications and Digital Inclusion Officer at West Lancashire Borough Council. “It hasn’t been a chore to do, at all. Throughout, the lectures have really sparked my interest, and I think this is because they’re so relevant to the skills you need in a digital communications role.
“I’ve been on other courses that don’t have that same level of relevancy, particularly on the digital side,” she added.
Pamela Holstein
Learning from the digital communications professionals within the group itself gave delegates the chance to apply what they were learning to real scenarios, as Pamela observed: “We’d all experienced situations in the workplace, we just didn’t know they were common issues, nor did we have the models and structures in place to get around them. I learnt things that I wish I’d learnt years ago.”
“All of us on the course arrived with different views and experiences,” added Ailin Martinez Thery, Digital and Campaigns Officer at South Yorkshire Housing Association Limited.
“I think we’ve all learnt much from each other as we share perspectives on the course itself and about the impact of the digital world on all of our working lives.”
Throughout the course, a line-up of guest lecturers from some of the North’s leading digital and creative companies supported the learning, offering their experiences from the frontline of the industry.
This real life commercial insight provides something unique. Ailin added: “They offered plenty of varied and valuable case studies into their companies, as they shared their personal insight and usually very frank assessments of what had worked, and hadn’t, for their companies.
Ailin Martinez
“It was fascinating to hear about and learn from so many different types of communications companies, from TV and research companies to PR and digital agencies. That was something very few people get the chance to access on such an intimate basis.”
Both were full of praise about the course and the impact their participation has had.
For Ailin, it had provided a chance to step away from the day-to-day of her role: “I really liked the opportunity to be able to take some time out to reflect on my job, as I see how the fast-changing nature of modern communications impacts upon my job. I would highly recommend the course.”
Meanwhile, Pamela had achieved so much from the course that she has since progressed into an entirely new job. The knowledge gained through it has helped her gain a promotion to a digital communications role with her employer. “It was the best option for me, I’m using what I’ve learnt through the course as I plan the next 12 months in my new role.”
Further information on the Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Communications Management course can be found here. Prolific North and MMU will be holding a series of Open Evening events, where interested parties can discuss the course with the team behind it.
