ESI Media’s newspaper brands, London Evening Standard and the Independent, has joined forces to introduce a diversity-driven apprenticeship scheme for candidates to promote greater workplace variance in newsrooms.
Eligible to candidates with five GCSEs at grades A-C – with a minimum of grade C in Maths and English – all apprentices will be paid the London Living Wage to embark on the two-year programme; consisting of practical on-the-job experience and college-based classes to learn valuable techniques such as: shorthand, feature writing, media law, social media practices and interviewing.
All apprentices will undertake a 20-week National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) accredited course.
In a statement, 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.”
Further partners of the apprenticeship programme include: Goldman Sachs, Peabody, the Worshipful Company of Stationers & Newspaper Makers and the Journalism Diversity Fund.
The closing date for all entries is November 14 and all applications should be made here
