Government approval has been given to a new standard for journalism apprenticeships.

The standard and accompanying assessment plan have been given the green light by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills after an agreement between the NCTJ and media companies.

Regional publishers involved in the project include Archant, Johnston Press, the KM Group and Newsquest.

The group, chaired by David Rowell, head of editorial training and development at Johnston Press, has been working on the scheme since March 2014 when it was announced that journalism would be part of the government’s trailblazer scheme to create national standards for apprenticeships in England.

According to the NCTJ, the apprenticeship “will deliver the quality skills apprentices need to achieve excellence in the workplace”.

Apprentices on the scheme, which will take a minimum of 18 months to complete, must complete the level three NCTJ Diploma in Journalism qualification as well as a final work-related project.

The government will contribute to the cost of training each apprentice up to a maximum cap of £8,000, while there are additional financial incentives available to employers and bonuses for successful completion of the programme.

David, pictured above left, said: “We are very pleased that we have been able to develop a qualification that can be used by all sectors of the media without the bureaucracy of previous initiatives.

“This new standard, driven by employers, ensures that journalism apprentices will gain multiplatform skills and be trained to the industry standard.”