Students in Ayr are set to benefit from a first-of-its-kind partnership with BBC Radio Scotland that will see them get the chance to work on productions for shows.

Ayrshire College’s Music and Sound Production department has been chosen to work in partnership with Creative and Cultural Skills (CCSkills) and BBC Music Introducing to help students obtain work experience in the creative industries.

The partnership will give students experience of recording live performance to broadcast quality, support skills development using the college facilities as the recording hub, and create links between local, emerging musicians and emerging recording professionals to help build links across grassroots music scenes.

With support from lecturers David McAulay, John McBlain and John Rae, three students at Ayrshire College – Nicole Kilpatrick (HND Music), Elizabeth Paton (HND Sound Production) and Richi Holt (HNC Media) – have been involved in the first project from the partnership; recording a session from the band Pretty Preachers Club at the college’s Ayr Campus.

The performance was broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland’s BBC Introducing in Scotland programme on February 11 at 8pm.

The students facilitated the live recording within their newly upgraded Studio G54, which has received significant funding from the Ayrshire College Foundation.

Patrick Devlin, curriculum manager for Music and Sound Production at the college, said: “As a department, we always strive to go further to provide a competitive advantage for our students and this opportunity to work with such a global media partner, doesn’t come around very often.

"We hope it is the start of a fruitful partnership for years to come.”

Student Nicole said: “During the experience, I felt I was the most professional I’ve ever been in my life.

"Answering emails, planning and liaising with the band, the band manager and college staff, which I thoroughly enjoyed because I got to develop new skills.”