Members of the talent pool will get first sight of new permanent roles and extra available shifts, says Reach. They will also have free access to Reach Academy’s library of resources, including skills sessions, videos and live networking events.
Skills sessions will be made available to all Talent Pool members, and between 30-45 min long. Topics will include:
- Search and SEO
- Social best practice
- Career development
- Media law
- Inclusive reporting
- Court & crime
- Live reporting
- TV & trending
- Newsgathering
- Newsletters
- Podcasts
According to Reach, training will both be in-person and virtual and there will be a mix of shifts available in the Talent Pool meaning applicants can work from home or on a specific patch. There will also be guest talks and networking sessions with senior journalists and editors a few times a year.
The Talent Pool has been spearheaded by Audience and Content Director Ed Walker and Senior Editor for Training and Development Steve Thompson, in conjunction with the Inclusion team.
Steve commented: “The Reach Talent Pool has been set up with the aim of kick-starting the careers of the brightest and best new journalists and to simplify the process for those freelancers already working with us.
“We know how hard it can be for talented people to get their foot in the door and hope this will help people build their experience, knowledge and network of contacts while they may still be looking for a permanent role.”
Julie Humphreys, Reach Group Head of Diversity and Inclusion added: “The Talent Pool represents an important step forward for the diversity of Reach’s editorial talent pipeline, granting dozens of new journalists access to our learning opportunities, as well as giving them the chance to get to know and learn from our senior editors - connections which can be priceless for someone starting their career.
“We will work with the NCTJ and the Journalism Diversity Fund, as well as our other partners such as MyGWork, Evenbreak, Vercida and WeAreBlackJournos to ensure our Talent Pool group is truly inclusive.”
Earlier this spring existing freelancers and casual staff were invited to join Reach Talent Pool and close to 50 have already signed up. Journalists interested in joining the Reach Talent Pool can fill in the application form here.
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