Student journalists at Edinburgh Napier will have the opportunity of one-to-one mentoring from established media figures, as the university becomes one of the first to join a new scheme.
ENU is one of six institutions across the UK and Ireland – and the only one in Scotland – to deliver the pilot programme run by the John Schofield Trust, a charity which has been working to diversify journalism for more than twenty years.
From next month until December 2023, the successful applicants will be paired with an individual mentor who aligns with their career goals, while getting access to monthly masterclasses and networking opportunities. It is hoped ten third year journalism students at ENU will be recruited onto the scheme.
David Stenhouse, CEO of the John Schofield Trust, said: “Mentoring is transformative – the students who are selected for our new university mentoring scheme will gain direct access to established journalists at the top of their game and gain a real insight into what having a career as a journalist looks like.
“We’re really glad to have Edinburgh Napier University on board with our first mentoring scheme supporting undergraduate journalism students.
“Your students will join a vibrant network of over 1000 journalists across the country who have mentored or been mentored.”
The pilot scheme will be evaluated throughout, analysing if students have met their own personal development goals as well as general indicators such as confidence built, level of knowledge about career steps and a familiarity with newsrooms.
Dr James Blake, the Head of Media and Humanities at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Edinburgh Napier University is delighted and proud to be partnering with the John Schofield Trust.
“For us, this is about giving the right skills and inspiration to the next generation of journalists.
“We all need to work together to ensure the media industries are as open, diverse, and inclusive as possible – and this new mentoring scheme is a great example of that.
“Our students will be supported by some of the best reporters and journalists in the country and I know they are excited to get started.”
As well as ENU, students at the University of Northampton, Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Central Lancashire, Dublin City University and the University of Kent will take part in the scheme.
The John Schofield Trust was set up by the family and friends of the journalist John Schofield, who was killed in 1995 whilst working in Croatia for the BBC’s World Tonight programme. It aims to create a memorial to his work by supporting new and aspiring journalists.