A national youth support and advice service has teamed up with the Lincolnshire Echo to encourage young people from a variety of backgrounds to consider a career in journalism.

The Echo's assistant content editor Mel West spoke to several small groups of young people at a recent Careers Fair run by the government's Connexions service at Sincil bank, the home of Lincoln City Football Club.

She said: "I think it is important that journalists use our position in society to encourage all young people to get the best start in life and aim for a career they really want.

"It was a great experience to meet with young people from a wide variety of social backgrounds, share with them my experiences and give them information so that they can follow in my footsteps."

Mel was accompanied by Anna Temple, a Lincolnshire Echo scholar, who is taking a journalism degree at The University of Lincoln, and Alex Daines-Talbot, a sixth-former on work experience at the paper.

Connexions is keen to hear from any journalists willing to follow Mel's example and talk to a group of young people at a local Connexions centre about a potential career in journalism.

Connexions provides expert advice, guidance and personal development services to all 13-19 year olds in England. Personal advisers are based in schools, colleges, youth centres and high street drop-in 'one stop shops' to give professional and confidential advice on a range of subjects from careers and education to drug abuse, homelessness and teenage pregnancy.

Call Simon Francis on 0208 238 8574 if you are interested in supporting the initiative.

Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121, or
e-mail pastill@nep.co.uk