High school students interested in careers in journalism, radio, marketing and more had the chance to get the inside scoop on their career options through an interactive workshop held at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst today.
The free workshop was aimed at helping students from years nine to 11 gain a deeper understanding of the career opportunities that could await them in the communications sector, and how choosing the right study pathways could help point them in the best possible direction.
The interactive workshop focused on elements of the Bachelor of Communication degree, with a special address by CSU alumnus Mr Noah Secomb, who graduated with a Bachelor of Communication in 2023 and now works for the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia as the Parliament House reporter in Canberra.
CSU lecturers hosted the ‘Making it in Media’ workshop for Year nine to Year 11 students, their teachers, careers advisors and families from 9:30am until 2:30pm on Friday 15 November, to help them explore the range of course options available at the regional university…and beyond.
Lecturer in Communication in the Charles Sturt School of Information and Communication Studies Dr Roslyn Cox told EducationDaily that a communications degree opens a world of opportunities in a diverse range of sectors, and extends well beyond the idea that it is limited to simply stepping in front of a camera or microphone at a television or radio studio.
With digital media, including podcasting, social media and more, the appetite for all forms of communications – including audio, video and print – is only growing bigger. And as corporate brands, charities, not-for-profits and social justice organisations endeavour to find meaningful ways to connect with their target audience, the demand for skilled people who can tell a story in a way that’s powerful and engaging is also growing.
“Young people might have an interest in activism around environmental issues, or be passionate about fashion, sports, music, food, politics or travel. Basically, no matter what industry you can think of, there are employment opportunities to work in communications within that industry,” she says.
For parents and careers counsellors who might have tried to steer high school students away from media-related pathways and what was once seen as a less stable career choice, Cox invites people to do an online job search for ‘communications’ to see the plethora of highly paid roles that prove a career in communications can be exciting, well-paid – and international.
“Communications can cover everything from podcasting to video production, to digital publishing, to strategic corporate communications – and it can take you all around the world,” she says.
Cox says the workshop is a designed as an eye-opener for young people who may not have fully understood the many directions a communication degree can lead, adding that, at CSU, “our philosophy is that you learn by doing, through opportunities to hear from people who work in industry, through the analysis and interrogation of real-world case studies and through working for real-world clients”.
“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.”
Unearthing inside knowledge
Students attending the workshop worked in small teams to learn about the three strands of the Bachelor of Communication:
- 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)
The workshop was held within the recently launched CSU Communication Precinct, which offers numerous authentic teaching and production spaces.
Cox says there was an element of ‘inside knowledge’ needed to understand exactly what is involved in communication studies, which the new precinct reflects and represents.
“The best way to showcase the unique approach of our university is by bringing young people into our TV studio, our wonderful new podcasting and editing rooms and our brilliant new boardroom spaces so they can meet their future lecturers and work with us for the day in a hands-on way,” she says.
“There is no better way to find out what the study of communication is all about and if it is the right choice for our student visitors.”
By developing an engaging and interesting program for the workshop, where students have the opportunity to gain insights into the work of journalists, what happens in a TV studio or radio station, how to develop a communication strategy to achieve outcomes and the many and varied creative aspects that produce effective communication, Cox says the CSU team has created a practical way to showcase the potential available to young people in the field.
Today marked the second time the free workshop has been offered to secondary school students, and Cox encourages students and educators to look out for the 2025 offerings to help young people make the big decisions they face when choosing subject choices that lead them to tertiary studies.
“We know from running this workshop on other occasions that our visitors learn a lot and enjoy the opportunity to hang out in a TV studio, get behind or in front of a camera, gain insights into what makes a good interview, as well as the creative, brainstorming work that sits behind designing communication strategy,” she says.
“Making it in media is, above everything, a lot of fun.”
