The Newsquest Group title has enrolled 28 staff on the only internet-based course in the country to offer the City & Guilds 5260 qualification.

Print Media Online allows printers to study for printing qualifications remotely, without interfering with work.

Leeds College of Technology Print Media Skills Centre manager John Procter said: "We realistically expect to increase our 60 subscribers by 600% within the year. Newsquest has 13 regions and the course has been recommended as a revolutionary scheme for its print workers."

Newsquest group human resources manager Jackie Lowe said: "Although were yet to make further inroads, its had a very positive impact in York. Its definitely something that we could offer to other regions where it would meet with each individual newspapers objectives."

The York staff will join other adult learners from RR Donnelley in York, Pindar in Scarborough and the Polestar Group.

Students can study to suit their schedules, with daily access to a tutor via online message boards. They are recommended to spend three hours a week studying, with the aim of completing the qualification within nine months. But it also enables students to budget their own time to finish earlier.

"There are so many adults who have never had the opportunity to get a formal qualification, as theyve always been trained off the back of others," said Procter.

Companies interested in Print Media Online should contact Procter on 0113 2976464, or log onto www.print-media.net.

Story by Rachel Barnes