Any opportunity to be given a space in the media landscape is excellent, but this course connected me to people across Ireland with genuine passion and talent in journalism.

I applied for the Learning Waves Journalism Graduate programme expecting to just be another applicant. Nearly a year later, I came out of it confident in my abilities and I am always looking to improve. I now feel confident and content in what I do.

I cannot give enough credit to the Learning Waves Journalism Graduate Programme. It has opened so many doors for me and I am not even a year in the industry. I have learned so much with a mix of hands-on, real life working experience as well as the workshops which run alongside the placement. The icing on the cake was being offered a role at my placement radio station (WLR FM) upon completion of the programme.

The Journalism Graduate Programme has by far been one of the best experiences I have had. Over the five months, I developed a diverse range of skills, made loads of connections and had an absolute ball. Going into the station can seem daunting at first, but with the help and guidance of the programme, I quickly found my feet and felt like an important member of the team. The programme encourages you to dip your toe into every aspect of radio and this helped me to build my confidence in a range of areas. I learned how to report news with confidence, work the news desk and head out and about gathering content to bring back to the station. I can confidently say I am now on my career path in radio and it wouldn't have happened without the Journalism Graduate Programme. If you want to develop your skills and have a passion for radio, I wholeheartedly encourage you to go for it with this course.

I’m incredibly grateful to have been part of the Learning Waves Journalism Programme. Every day felt like a fever dream, filled with new challenges and opportunities. I was fortunate to be placed in the newsroom at Newstalk, where I got to attend political markings, protests, and conferences during the General Election. I received voice training, honed my interview techniques, and sharpened my skills in recording vox pops. The programme kept me on my toes, constantly pushing me to grow as a radio journalist. Since completing the programme, I’ve been working as a freelance reporter and newsreader for FM104, Classic Hits, Newstalk, and Spin1038. If it weren’t for Teresa and the programme, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I am confident that more opportunities will come my way in the future, thanks to the invaluable experience the programme has given me.

My Journalism degree gave me a great foundation to work in the media, but if I'm being honest, I learned everything I know today during the Learning Waves Grad Programme. The placement paired with the weekly workshops allowed me to learn theoretical aspects and put them into practice in a live radio environment. I would highly recommend any student who wants to work in radio to go for this programme.

This course was excellent. Glen delivered the material in an engaging and practical way and the mixture of presentations and practical tasks meant we were able to put our new skills into practice and get critical feedback as we went. I would definitely attend another workshop with Glen - he is extremely knowledgeable!

The Journalism Graduate Programme was an absolutely fantastic, hands-on experience that gave me real newsroom exposure and the confidence to take a story from idea right through to broadcast. It helped me develop as a storyteller and set me on the path from a lover of radio to a fully fledged broadcast journalist.

The Journalism Graduate Programme was very beneficial, and the supportive, nurturing environment at Clare FM played a huge role in my development. The workshops covered essential skills, from technical training to professional networking, and the voice training with Eric Dixon was especially valuable for building my on-air confidence. The experience ultimately led to continued employment with Clare FM, which really shows the impact of the programme.

The journalism graduate programme gave me the confidence to pursue interviews build my newswriting skills and understand the day-to-day operations of a radio station, skills that were not fully developed in academic studies. The journalism programme is the biggest and best test for any graduate seeking a career in broadcasting. 

The JGP was the key factor in securing my role at LMFM. The mentorship and hands-on experience allowed me to grow as a journalist and become a valued team member. The programme offers unmatched technical training and access to a professional network, preparing graduates for the evolving demands of journalism, from audio to video and AI-driven news verification.

I would highly recommend Learning Waves for radio based courses. I went from being completely interested but clueless about working in radio, to having a decent knowledge and skill base and actually working part time in a radio station to further expand what I learned from the course. If you are in anyway interested in working in Radio, this is the course for you to do.

"This programme is an amazing first step in your career. If you have finished college and are not sure how to get started, I couldn’t recommend this programme more. Before you know it, you’ll have skills, contacts and confidence. It truly is a priceless experience."

"The most important take away from me is that I now know for sure that I want to have a career in radio. In the past five months, it feels like I've done it all. No day was exactly like the one before, and that kept me on my toes. Learning on the job is really the only way to go in journalism, and that is exactly what this programme provides. My skills, my confidence and my knowledge have all grown so much because of this programme. I felt like a fully-fledged member of The Newsroom, like a journalist, and that is a high that I want to keep chasing."

"This programme has so much to offer. If you are looking to add to your CV, to make connections and to enhance your skills, I would highly recommend getting into this course and getting on the internship. The five months I have spent here in Midwest Radio, I've learned from some great people and seeing what goes into making a great radio show. It really helps you get out of your comfort zone and really helps you enhance your skills as an individual and as a broadcast journalist. I would highly recommend this course. I totally enjoyed my time here and I'm very thankful for the opportunity."

"Getting the opportunity to be placed in a newsroom is just wonderful. You get to do the job as if you were hired there as a journalist. I had such a great time there. I was writing news stories. I was going out covering events. I met Ministers, TV's, local councilors. I was covering council meetings. As well as writing news stories, reading the news as well. It is just fantastic. The best way to learn is always by doing so, just getting the chance to be placed there, doing, and learning as you are going. It is wonderful."

"When I started this graduate programme, I had no experience of any broadcasting at all. After completing the course, I have walked away with a range of skills that will help me go far in the industry. I am still part of the station that I started with, and I could not be more thankful to all the team at learning waves for giving me the opportunity to do this."

"I really enjoyed my time on this programme. I was very much welcomed, any question I had someone was there to help me with it. It is a busy environment, but I think if you really put yourself out there, they really take you in as one of their own. Besides working in The Newsroom, itself, the lectures were fantastic. Learning from amazing people like Gareth and Jane and finding out so much about the industry and focusing in on those skills that I have always wanted to develop. The best part of this whole internship was the community made between the interns. We were all able to help each other all the way through, support each other and lift each other up when we were a bit frustrated. I know that these people are going to be there for the rest of my career, and I will be able to rely on them. I am thankful for Learning Waves for creating that. "

"I was interning in Off the Ball from September to February. This course has really done wonders for me. It's changed my career completely. I was always so interested in radio and wanted to see myself working in the industry.  Learning Waves has given me that platform. I have gotten to connect with plenty of people in the industry which I would have never done before. It's been incredible."

"I really could not recommend this programme enough. I had a little experience working in radio before, but the skills I have gained over the last five months are invaluable. Between getting chances to go out on the street and talk to people, conduct my own interviews, read the news, commentate on live sporting events, doing vox pops, even presenting a couple of shows here and there, the experience I have gained has been incredible. I really could not recommend this experience highly enough. "

"I thought the Learning Waves Graduate Programme was brilliant. The topics we researched were fantastic, current, and important. So, that was enjoyable for me, being part of a radio station and getting to know the team, it was brilliant. I learned so much and feel completely confident."

"I have spent the last five months working as a researcher and journalist in Midlands 103. The main part of my role was researching content for the current affairs show, Midlands Today. In the beginning, I was not sure how much I would learn in such a short amount of time. Thankfully, I was wrong. Nevermind the technical skills that I have learnt, the confidence that I have gained in myself is incredible. I am more confident when I am speaking to guests and interviewing someone, as well as more confident when approaching people for vox-pops. While the technical aspect is a huge thing, I think the personal aspect also helps. I have learnt great people skills and how to deal with people in different situations." 

The JGP brought me back to journalism after COVID disrupted my plans. It gave me the chance to report on meaningful topics like animal welfare and build credibility in niche areas.

The JGP was groundbreaking for me, especially with little prior experience. Learning on the job built my confidence, on-air presence, and production skills. It set me up for my current role as a primetime presenter at KCLR and taught me how to navigate today’s social media and podcasting-driven media landscape.

The JGP gave me hands-on exposure to radio at Red FM, from scriptwriting and voice training to producing and engaging audiences. It laid the foundations for my role at Tipp FM, where I became main producer on Tipp Today and won an IMRO award. The programme set me up with the skills needed to navigate today’s fast-changing media landscape, from social media to podcasting.

“The JGP was the pivotal moment that launched my career. My placement at Newstalk showed me that human-interest journalism was my passion, and the programme’s networking opportunities were invaluable for building early industry connections. It gave me a real understanding of the skills needed today from broadcast to multimedia and set me on the path for continuous professional growth.