ARE?you aged between 16 and 18 and fancy trying your hand at journalism. If so then a countrywide competition launched to mark the 60th anniversary of the journalism training organisation the NCTJ could be just the thing for you.

The competiton, which is launched this week is run in two parts and begins with a regional contest where young people are asked to submit a news story of 200 words in length to The Abergavenny?Chronicle.

Entrants should write articles about events or issues in their local community, school or college, or their family. It must be original, unpublished work and include at least one direct quote as the result of an interview.

Each winner will have their story printed in the paper along with a feature about themselves, as well as receiving an award certificate and being featured on the NCTJ website.

A single winner from all the regional successes will then be selected by members of the NCTJ board and the winning student will be awarded a cash prize plus a week of work experience and support with journalism careers advice. They will also have a special feature on the NCTJ website and in their regional paper.

The winning articles from each regional paper will be sent to the NCTJ for final judging. A single winner from all the regional successes will be selected by members of the NCTJ board and the winning student will be awarded the grand prize of a cheque for £250 courtesy of the NCTJ and the Society of Editors. They will also have a special feature on the NCTJ website and in The Abergavenny Chronicle.

The competition was launched on Monday, April 18 and entries must be received by Friday, May 27. The regional winners will be announced on Thursday, June 16 and the overall winner will be announced on Friday, July 1.

The competition is part of the NCTJ's 60th anniversary celebrations. The NCTJ is dedicated to providing a world-class education and training system that develops current and future journalists for the demands of a fast-changing multimedia industry. There are over 70 NCTJ-accredited journalism courses around the country at a mix of universities, colleges and commercial centres.

The aim of the competition is to educate students about training opportunities, increase students' awareness of the career paths available in journalism, and provide information about how they can get into the various areas of journalism.

Send your articles marked NCTJ?Competition to Chronicle editor Liz Davies at The Abergavenny?Chronicle, Tindle House, 13 Nevill Street, Abergavenny, NP7 5AA by no later than Friday, May 27. You can also send your articles by email to [email protected]">[email protected]

Make sure your article includes your name, address and a day time telephone number.