The Periodicals Training Council (PTC) is the lead body for best practice in training and development and people management for the magazine and business media industry. PTC enhances the performance of people working in magazines and professional media publishing by improving the quality and availability of training, acting as a focus for guidance on employment best practice and encouraging new talent into the sector through the provision of careers information. Our vision is for a fully professionalised industry, with equal recognition and opportunity for employees across all functions of the business.

We offer support and advice in three key areas:

Encouraging new talent

There is no better career than one in magazines! PTC encourages potential and new entrants through activities that both raise the profile of the industry and help identify and celebrate the best and brightest emerging talent. PTC monitors and accredits pre-entry courses run by universities and colleges, and also provides careers advice. Some of the projects that sit in this area of work include:

  • PTC course accreditation - PTC accredits a number of pre-entry journalism courses. For a course to become accredited, the training provider must prove it works closely with the industry and meets PTC's exacting standards.
  • Magscene - PTC publishes Magscene, the only magazine specific careers guide available in the UK. It is free, comprehensive and covers all the core job functions - from editorial assistant to ad director, production controller to news reporter - and is distributed to schools, universities and individual enquirers. Crucially, the guide gives tips on how to get that vital first job and is written entirely by people in the industry, passionate about their career in magazines. To request a hard copy of the guide please click here.
  • PTC guidelines for work experience - PTC has developed guidelines to promote best practice when offering work experience placements which have become the industry standard.
  • PTC New Journalist of the Year Awards - PTC's prestigious annual awards recognise and reward the brightest and best of the industry's new journalists and designers. Attracting high profile publishing and supplier sponsors, PTC is joined at the event by some 250 guests, including chief executives and managing directors from all the major magazine and professional media publishers.
  • Magazine Academy - This annual competition enables students to produce a magazine, have it judged by experts and showcased at an awards event attended by publishers and editors. Magazine Academy rewards innovation, commercial acumen and- above all- fantastic reader focus. Sparky and fun or delivered serious treatment to subjects in challenging markets, Magazine Academy encourages students to develop their great ideas and chooses the best to be distributed across the industry.

Developing existing talent

PTC leads the field in activities that focus on core business personnel - e.g. publishers, editors, production controllers, sales teams - driving up professional standards by developing the high quality and cutting edge vocational training and qualifications the industry needs. It is the overall responsibility of PTC to identify and develop courses and qualifications, which are then delivered by PPA Training.

Supporting the industry

  • PPA HR & Training Network Group - a network which aims to improve competitiveness in hiring and retaining staff, exchange ideas and experiences in HR management and promote and share best practice.
  • PPA Salary Survey - an online salary enabling companies to benchmark their pay and benefits packages against salary data and information provided by other publishers.
  • PPA Benchmarking survey - a free service which invites PPA member companies to exchange information on employee benefits to help with external benchmarking.