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NCTJ launches search for best trainee and student journalists

PrintTrainee and student journalists are being encouraged to enter an annual set of awards recognising their efforts.

The NCTJ Awards for Excellence 2016 are open for entries with categories covering news, sports and features, as well as prizes for top scoop/exclusive and multimedia story/campaign of the year.

There is also a student project of the year category for student newspapers, magazines, websites, or broadcast packages produced between September 2015 and August 2016, and an NCTJ Apprentice of the Year award.

Prizes will be handed out at the Journalism Skills Conference, which is due to take place in November.

In additon to the category prizes there are also awards for the best-performing student based on preliminary exam results and references, and the best-performing trainee in the National Qualification in Journalism.

There is no call for entries for these two awards, as they are based on exam results.

The free to enter awards are open to journalism students completing NCTJ courses and journalists with less than two years’ experience in the industry, as well as those studying the Diploma in Journalism by distance learning.

The trainee category will include those with less than two years’ employment in any sector of journalism who have completed the Diploma in Journalism.

Joanne Butcher, NCTJ chief executive, said: “Our awards recognise the best new talent coming into journalism and continue to grow, reflecting the increasing diversity of journalists and journalism jobs.

“Free to enter and whatever the platform, there are award categories for excellence in news, sports, scoops and exclusives, features and campaigns.”

Students and trainees can enter via the student login section of the NCTJ website and work entered must have been produced during the period 1 September 2015 to 31 August 2016.

All entries should be sent to the NCTJ before 5pm on Friday 16 September 2015.