Creative, Media & Communications

The creative industries are continuing to grow, with Scotland set to be the most connected, creative, inclusive and entrepreneurial place in Europe over the next 20 years. The creative industries are the fastest growing area in the UK economy and are worth £98 billion; this is more than gas, oil, automotive, aerospace and life sciences including pharmaceuticals industries put together. This is creating a range of new job opportunities in creative industries for qualified and ambitious individuals.

We offer a variety of full-time creative industries courses and schools programmes including NQ Creative Industries, Schools Creative Industries an Introduction, Schools: Foundation Apprenticeship in Creative & Digital Media, and HNC Digital Creative Media.

These courses support students to gain skills in a variety of forms within the creative, media & communications sector, including photography, art and video production, games or app development, social media, marketing and advertising, TV and film, and the creative arts.

Our Schools courses, aimed at school pupils who are interested in the creative industries, specifically photography, graphics, video, animation and television, gives them the chance to find out more about these areas and carry out practical projects.

The courses also give pupils the opportunity to experience the college environment, work with state-of-the-art equipment and produce practical work of their own design.

The Schools: Foundation Apprenticeship in Creative & Digital Media course is also available over two years, on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, or compressed into 1 year, with Friday afternoons included, leaving these courses with a digital portfolio of work and real-life experiences, whether moving on to college or university, students will have evidence of their creative work to back up those qualifications.

Adam Slater is studying Digital & Creative Media at West Lothian College, and he talks what is involved on the course- from creating a radio show, to working with the BBC.

Careers in Creative, Media & Communications

A career in creative industries will be vibrant and exciting with opportunities across a range of disciplines.

Previous creative students have progressed into roles such as; videographer, journalism, game designer, film-making.

There are currently more than 71,000 people employed within the creative industries in Scotland, with the industry expected to be worth up to £5.8 billion a year to the Scottish Economy.

On completion of your course you can work in positions such as copywriter, photographer, journalist, multimedia designer, marketer, gaming designer, or be involved in either theatre or filmmaking.

Previous students have found employment with West Lothian Leisure, or moved on to further study at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh Napier University, The University of Stirling and Robert Gordon University, in subjects such as Photography, Events Management, Journalism, and Literature & Creative Writing.

I studied a schools course at West Lothian College so I already knew about the excellent facilities.

Grant Cassidy, HNC Media and Communication

Grant Cassidy got a taste for West Lothian College through one of our schools programmes and is now a full-time student.

Grant Cassidy HNC Media and Communications

Visits to places like BBC Scotland, River City
Learn in a creative environment
Practical lessons
Industry speakers

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Creative, Media & Communications