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Editor praises daily’s apprentices after admitting initial scepticism about idea

Hannah ChapmanA regional daily editor has hailed the impact apprenticeships have had on her newsroom despite admitting previously being “sceptical” about the idea.

Hannah Chapman has praised Northern Echo apprentices Paige McDermott and Georgia Banks, saying they have been a “breath of fresh air” since beginning work with the Darlington-based daily 18 months ago.

Hannah, pictured, has spoken out to mark National Apprenticeship Week, which is taking place this week.

The campaign is being supported by the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

In a piece marking the week, Hannah wrote: “When details of the apprenticeship scheme were first announced, I must admit I was sceptical about how successful it would be.

“My main concern was about putting people with no previous journalistic experience directly into the cut and thrust of a busy newsroom. Would staff have time to provide the necessary support – and would it be fair to the apprentices themselves to launch them directly into that pressured environment?

“I’m happy to say, because we got the right people into the roles, I was wrong on all counts. Paige McDermott and Georgia Banks have been a breath of fresh air since they started with us almost 18 months ago. In the early days, we were careful not to ask too much of them, making sure they either doubled up on jobs or shadowed a senior reporter.

“As their training progressed, and they became more confident, they were soon able to handle pretty much any story we gave them. Both are an absolute asset to the newsroom, with great digital skills and a flair for spotting really strong community stories.

“Their commitment is tremendous – I’m not sure I would have survived learning on the job while studying and working at shorthand, but somehow they cram it all in.

“They have been a pleasure to mentor and it’s a privilege to be able to help them at the beginning of what I’m sure will be a long and successful career in journalism.”

Discussing her time as an apprentice, Paige said she had “gained enormous amounts of experience” while at the Echo.

She added: “I learn more with every story I write and have challenged myself to do things I never thought I would be able to do when I first started my apprenticeship – achieving 100 words-per-minute shorthand is just one of those things. Working while learning has been a great way to put what I have been taught into practice.”

Added Georgia: “The apprenticeship has given me tools I would not have learned by just being a classroom. Shortly after starting the apprenticeship I was given a patch, which allowed me to become independent and concentrate on addressing issues facing a specific community.

“I have been able to build good relationships with people of different backgrounds, this means that these contacts now come to me with both their regular stories and more breaking news – stories which I would not otherwise know about.”