The Newsquest Young Reporter Scheme has been active for 14 years and is a schools’ programme for students aged 14-18 that runs for eight months during the school term.
The scheme is now launching this new initiative for students from aged 16 and over who are no longer in full time education. It is a pathway for young people who want to kick start their career and earn the industry-standard NCTJ qualification while being employed by Newsquest.
Students can complete a 42-month apprenticeship consisting of the 18-month Level 5 apprenticeship, followed by the two-year Level 7, resulting in a permanent role at the Newsquest title they’ve been working at. There is also a four-year degree apprenticeship option which allows them to get the university experience without requiring a student loan as all fees are covered.
Any students already in The Young Reporter Scheme in Year 10 and 11 can be fast-tracked onto the apprenticeship scheme.
All schools in England are invited to participate in the initiative but currently Scotland and Wales schools are not permitted due to the current requirements of the Government apprenticeship levy.
Diana Jarvis who runs the scheme said: “We are excited to be launching this apprenticeship programme through the Young Reporter Scheme.
“The scheme has evolved exponentially over the 14 years it has been operating and this gives a completely new dimension to the running of it.
“This year between seven and eight hundred young people took part across Greater London, Essex and Sussex and we look forward to welcoming the next cohort of Year 10 to 13 students in September 2022.”
Toby Granville, editorial development director at Newsquest said: “I’m thrilled that we are launching this initiative with the Young Reporter scheme across our news brands in England.
“As part of our commitment to newsroom diversity we are particularly keen to welcome youngsters from diverse backgrounds to come and work for us and represent the communities we write for.
“This is a great opportunity to give a helping hand to those who previously might not have considered a career in journalism - so please get in touch and in the meantime I look forward to meeting the stars of the future!”
Keep up-to-date with publishing news: sign up here for InPubWeekly, our free weekly e-newsletter.
