Apprentice journalists developing their careers with Tindle have hailed their training courses as a great way to learn the skills needed to succeed, as we mark National Apprenticeship Week.
Five apprentices are close to completing their training programmes with our company, having built up valuable work experience in our newsrooms while undergoing formal courses to gain the qualifications needed for editorial careers.
All five have been working alongside reporting colleagues in Devon, Cornwall and Wales, to gain an on-the-job understanding of newsgathering and reporting, while achieving qualifications from the National Council for the Training of Journalists.
Working in a multi-platform environment, the apprentices are gaining skills in providing video content for our websites, photographs for publication and engaging news copy, as well as strong experience of digital publishing and social media audience development.
National Apprenticeship Week celebrates the positive impact of apprenticeships for individuals, businesses and the wider community.
This year’s theme ‘Skills for Life’ reflects on how apprenticeships help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career and allow businesses to develop a talented workforce with skills for the future.
Enjoyable work
Based in the Cornish town of Liskeard, Scarlett Hills-Brooks is responsible for gathering news from across the local community as she works towards her formal journalism qualifications.
She reports on news stories, producing photos, videos and articles for the Cornish Times and the Cornish & Devon Post, to be published on the website and in the newspaper.
She says: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my apprenticeship. It has been a really good way of gaining another qualification, one which is widely recognised and very well respected in the world of journalism and media.
“I have enjoyed working in the office alongside professional journalists as well as being able to apply what I’ve learnt from my study program to my daily working life.
“An apprenticeship in journalism is a great way to develop an understanding of what it’s really like to become a valuable reporter for the company you work for.
“It allows you to gain an insight into the professional working world and broadens your knowledge as you can talk to like-minded people. I would recommend an apprenticeship with Tindle.”
Team contribution
The other Tindle apprentices are Ethan Heppell of the Mid Devon Advertiser, the Monmouthshire Beacon and Abergavenny Chronicle’s Lauren Meredith, Joseph Carrick of the Brecon & Radnor Express and Liam Davies of the Tavistock Times Gazette.
Tavistock Times Gazette editor Alison Stephenson said the whole newsroom had benefitted from Liam doing his apprenticeship at their title.
She said: “Having an apprentice as part of my news team is great as Liam brings enthusiasm and a real desire to learn.
“He is working in an environment which is fast paced and is picking up so much knowledge and skill from other more experienced members of the team alongside his studies.
“Liam has also really helped the team with newer aspects of the job like video journalism which he has become very skilled at through his NCTJ modules and is happy and willing to share what he has learnt.
“Bringing an apprentice into the team has created a really good dynamic amongst the workforce.
“We now have a team of varying ages and experience sharing one common goal, to bring news to our communities, both in print and online. To be able to nurture and help someone learn the job has been a real pleasure.
Valued colleagues
“Liam continues to grow and develop in his role and we are looking forward to him qualifying when he will be a fully-fledged journalist able to tackle any story.”
Emily Woolfe, Group Digital Editor, said: “The progress made by our apprentices has been really encouraging, and they are making a major contribution to their websites and newspapers every week.
“To have all five with us and on course to complete their programmes speaks volumes about their success.
“They have found their place within our newsrooms and have become hugely-valued and vital members of their teams.
“We have also been well-supported by the NCTJ throughout the programme, and they have picked up on and shared the successes of our apprentices.”