Most reception and early years teachers consider it an everyday part of their job, but now you can gain a bonafide qualification in storytelling.

Adult learners at Midlothian College near Edinburgh recently completed a 10-month course that gained them a qualification in storytelling. The aim: to help them communicate better in their day-to-day jobs in tourism, education and social care.

So why a qualification? Donald Smith, director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, said: “The students have gained the confidence to be creative, and learnt how the art of storytelling can make a real difference in many areas of society today.”

Some companies hire out storytellers for between Pounds 200 and Pounds 1,000, so the qualification could prove to be a lucrative addition to the students’ CVs.

Let’s hope they haven’t been spun a yarn. But at least now they can spin one back.