The Independent announces new editorial apprenticeship scheme for aspiring journalists

Students invited to apply for opportunity to receive on-the-job training and newsroom experience

The scheme represents a great opportunity for aspiring editors (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The Independent, The Evening Standard and Press Association (PA) have today announced a partnership to offer apprenticeships to encourage greater diversity in newsrooms.

The initiative builds on a similar Independent and Evening Standard scheme that led to four apprentices passing their NCTJ exams and being successfully embedded with the titles.

Recruitment has just opened for two further apprentices to join for two years of journalism training including a 17-week NCTJ diploma course at PA’s training centre followed by on-the-job training at the titles and in the PA newsroom.

The Evening Standard/The Independent group (ESI Media) and PA are particularly keen to recruit candidates from a diverse range of ethnic and social backgrounds.

ESI Media Group managing editor Doug Wills said the titles were delighted to be able to offer further apprenticeships. “Our previous apprentices have excelled both on the NCTJ course and in the editorial teams they have joined. We have been proud and delighted of the contribution they have brought to the titles.”

This year, PA celebrates its 150th anniversary as the national news agency for the UK and Ireland.

Editor-in-chief Pete Clifton said: “We look forward to giving the apprentices a rich and rewarding experience over the next two years. This scheme creates routes into journalism for promising candidates who might not have considered it as a career option. It’s more important than ever that newsrooms reflect the communities they cover.”

The apprentices will learn core skills including news reporting, feature writing, interview techniques, developing stories, shorthand, video, use of social media, and media law. They will then go on to work alongside journalists at The Independent, The Evening Standard and in the PA newsrooms. They will be supported by workplace mentors, their NCTJ tutor and editorial executives.

Applications for the apprenticeship scheme are invited from candidates who have 5 GCSEs at grades A-C (and must, as a minimum, have GCSE English and Maths at C or above) or equivalent. Basic PC skills are essential. Apprentices will be paid the London Living Wage. The positions are open to those who do not already have an advanced apprenticeship and/or degree level qualification.

Applications can be made at apprentice@standard.co.uk. The closing date is Monday 9 July