ITV News Traineeship: What is it really like?

blockquote>

Jamie Green, 2022-2023

Jamie describes applying to the ITV Academy News Traineeship as “definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made.” Before joining the programme, he was teaching German full-time while studying for his NCTJ diploma part-time. It was a non-traditional route into journalism, and he’s really glad that he went for it.

The application process was something that really stood out to Jamie. As someone with cerebral palsy, it was really important to him that the team were available to answer any questions he had during the application process, and that there were practical considerations in relation to his disability. “Everyone involved in the application process was really supportive.”

Jamie now works at Meridian near Southampton. He’s experienced lots of different sides to the job, but one of his favourite parts has been the specialist training weeks, like the writing for TV course. It’s been a great way to develop his skills further. He’s also really enjoyed getting to know the other trainees, which provides a great support network.

Peter Hampshire, 2022-2023

Peter came into the ITV Academy News Traineeship with little background in television journalism. He’d just spent five years working as a teacher in South Korea. It was a little bit daunting coming into the programme with such unique experience, but he was “made to feel comfortable and given a great platform to get up to speed with working in a regional newsroom.”

Over the nine months of the programme, Peter was given incredible opportunities to improve and demonstrate his newfound skills, leading to an extended stay at ITV Yorkshire. Among the standout moments of his time with us, he cites covering the Queen’s death for 10 days on the ITV National digital desk and nailing his first solo bulletins as a producer.

Not only did the programme give him an opportunity to see how news is made in one region, but it also gave him a glimpse of the whole network in action. The experience has helped him to become a much more well-rounded journalist. It’s given him the tools and advice to aim high, as well as access to authentic and interactive training, and the inspirational stories of past trainees. Peter has “a great grounding for the future.”

Hanah Arshad, 2021-2022

Hanah’s experience of the ITV Academy News Traineeship was incredibly positive. She felt that it really helped her to understand the different skills needed to navigate the world of journalism. She was able to grow and develop during sessions from reporters and content editors on how to write for TV, how to work with breaking news, and how to deliver lives for the programme.

At the same time, she also feels that she was able to make her own mark in her newsroom from very early on. Her expertise in digital storytelling was something her team admired, and the focus she gave to showcasing digital stories and making Instagram explainers boosted engagement on social media. She was also asked to facilitate training sessions for her colleagues in the newsroom on how to be creative with Instagram.

“It felt like a surreal moment that as a trainee, I was training others, too.” Whatever your skills, there’s room to develop them on the ITV Academy News Traineeship, and Hanah has experienced that firsthand. She loves that her hard work and skills were valued as a trainee.

Since completing the Traineeship, she’s been able to report on her own stories, present the early morning regional bulletins for Good Morning Britain, and produce for ITN in Scotland as they covered the Queen’s death. She’s also recently completed an attachment as a producer at the ITN newsroom. A lot of the core skills used in these experiences have stemmed from, or been honed in by, her time on the Traineeship.

Gabriella Lee, 2017-2018

Gabriella had always known she wanted to follow a career path off screen and working behind the scenes, so the ITV Academy News Traineeship was an amazing experience for her. It allowed her to observe all the different elements of how our programmes come together — from being out on the road, our technical teams, and everything is produced back in the newsroom.

She still uses this insight now, as she news edits our programmes. The Traineeship allowed her to build great connections across other regions and within the national teams, and those always come in handy when she’s working alongside her colleagues to build stories. Gabriella also found it invaluable to develop all the newsroom essential skills during her time on the programme, from self-shooting to producing bulletins.

Pablo Taylor, 2017-2018

Pablo thinks that one of the best things about the Traineeship is how practical it is. From the moment he finished, he felt that he had the skills required to become a vital part of the team within the newsroom. In his case, this was the ability — and the confidence! — to start creating his own reports for the Central programme. Within a couple of months of finishing the traineeship, he’d filmed and edited a report about racism at grassroots-level football, which went on to be the top story of the day.

While working in television, Pablo says that you’ll be gifted with so many great and often unexpected opportunities. He’d never really thought about going down the route of presenting, but was given the chance to step out of his comfort zone by his Head of News. He did a screen test for the early morning bulletins, and a couple of weeks later, he presented live to hundreds and thousands of viewers waking up across the Midlands.

It’s been several years since he completed the programme, and he’s since completed some shifts as a main presenter on our evening programme. He’s had an amazing few years here at ITV, and thinks that his journey is proof of how far a trainee can go at ITV News.