Collaboration with the Independent Publishers Guild is a UK first
Publishing students at Edinburgh Napier are to receive access to the Independent Publishers Guild’s Skills Hub under a new licensing partnership.
The agreement will give students free and unlimited use of the popular gateway for professional development, which has well over 100 resources to improve skills and knowledge.
It will complement the tuition they receive on the internationally renowned MSc Publishing programme at Edinburgh Napier, which the Guardian has ranked as the leading university for publishing studies in the UK, and builds on our 50-year track record of innovation in education.
The IPG launched the Skills Hub to provide independent publishers with new high quality training content and practical advice, including full-length courses in important disciplines like publicity and financial management, quick-fire tips for effective publishing, masterclasses from successful companies, publishing FAQs, directories, glossaries and much more. Fresh content is regularly added.
All material is compiled by experts in their field, including experienced independent publishers and consultants, and some of it is drawn from the IPG’s award-winning conferences and other events. The resources are hosted on a state-of-the art training platform that allows individuals to learn at a time, place and pace to suit them, with features to make study interactive and focus on individual requirements.
Avril Gray, Associate Professor in Publishing at Edinburgh Napier, said: “This imaginative and innovative new partnership with the IPG demonstrates our commitment to providing our students with the skills and connections they need to advance their careers in publishing. The Skills Hub is a fabulous resource for students, and our collaboration opens up great potential for independent publishers to engage with the publishing workforce of the future.”
IPG chief executive Bridget Shine said: “The IPG has always been keen to support people on their journeys through publishing, so we are delighted that students on the excellent courses at Edinburgh Napier will be able to access our Skills Hub. We hope it will give them a good grounding in the skills needed to build a career in the industry, and insights into what it’s like to work in the thriving independent publishing sector on a day-to-day basis. We look forward to welcoming them as IPG members in due course as they lead the next generation of independent publishers!”