London Evening Standard and the Independent launch diversity driven apprenticeship programme
The London Evening Standard and the Independent have launched an apprenticeship programme designed to encourage greater diversity in newsrooms.
The new programme is intended to bring greater diversity to the newsroom
The apprenticeships will offer a structured combination of college-based education and on-the-job experience over a two-year period and have been backed by partners including Goldman Sachs, Peabody, the Worshipful Company of Stationers & Newspaper Makers and the Journalism Diversity Fund.
The scheme will focus on recruiting candidates from a diverse range of ethnic and social backgrounds and will see those taking part undergo a 20-week course accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists at UCFB’s Wembley Stadium centre.
The course will teach core skills including news reporting, feature writing, interview technique, developing stories, shorthand, video, use of social media, and media law.
Apprentices will then go on to work alongside journalists at the Evening Standard, the Independent and London Live Television where they will continue to receive support from workplace mentors, their NCTJ tutor and editorial executives
London mayor, Sadiq Khan, commented: “I commend this commitment to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and I encourage businesses and organisations across London to support this new scheme."
"The Evening Standard/Independent scheme has as its mission, widening of the ethnic and social representation within journalism and I am therefore delighted to offer my unreserved support."
Eligible candidates must have five GCSEs at grades A-C and must, as a minimum, have GCSE English and Maths at C or above or equivalent. Apprentices will be paid the London Living Wage and the positions are open to those who do not already have an advanced apprenticeship and/or degree level qualification.
Applications can be made at standard.co.uk/editorialapprentice and the closing date is 14 November.